


The Avengers Accidentally Adopt Some Teens from Queens

by coffeegrump



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Domestic Avengers, Everyone loves the kids, Gen, Parent Tony Stark, So yeah, Tony is a total dad, also infinity war just didn't and isn't going to happen, btw my Clint doesn't have some secret family and he's deaf, they don't know what they're getting into, we don't need all that complex sad shit in my house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2019-06-21 08:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeegrump/pseuds/coffeegrump
Summary: The rogue Avengers are back and have been officially pardoned. Despite his reservations, Tony invites them to live at the complex once more. Maybe they could fix the team while they fixed the Accords. Much to their surprise, the complex has some new residents. A few teenagers, to be exact.Living with the teens is quite an experience, but it might be just what they need to become a family again.





	1. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's spent the last few weeks trying to write a slice of life family fic? It's me.
> 
> This is only proofread and edited by me, sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy.

It was a normal Thursday in June at the Avenger’s complex. It was sunny, and a bit too hot for outdoor activities, but it was still nice. Especially enjoyable within the comfort of air conditioning and rooms with massive picturesque windows. If you added in videogames, snacks, the comfiest couch in the universe, and your favorite people, you’d be having a pretty nice summer Thursday. Which is exactly what our favorite local teens from Queens were doing. At the moment, Peter was shoveling chips into his mouth like he was starving, excitedly watching Ned get absolutely destroyed by MJ, the videogame battle on the screen getting vicious between their characters.

 

Meanwhile, the one and only Mr. Tony Stark was… asleep at his desk. Again. Using the stack of papers he was working on for the Sokovia Accords amendments as a pillow. He hardly ever remembered to take care of himself, so the kids had given the AIs instructions to help without him knowing. If he’d gone too long without eating, someone was alerted and would usually drag him out to the city for food and a change of scenery. If he was too out of it and trying to use dangerous equipment, the AIs would shut it down. Most importantly, if he ever fell asleep, don’t wake him up unless absolutely necessary. He was running himself so ragged the kids were pretty sure he was going to die if he didn’t sleep more.

 

At the same time, Steve Rogers and the other rogue Avengers buzzed to be let in at the main entrance of the complex.

They had been officially pardoned, and even though things were still tense, Tony had asked them to live at the complex. They all already had rooms, and then everyone they cared about would be under the same roof. They all wanted to fix things, although they would never really acknowledge it out loud to one another. Plus, if they were roommates just talking casually about the Sokovia accords over coffee, and not at a legally sanctioned government meeting, they wouldn’t have to deal with Ross. Despite all of their differences, they had unanimously decided that he was absolutely “The WorstTM”.

So now they were here to reacquaint themselves with the building and learn what’s changed. They were also supposed to make some kind of set of ground rules, to minimize the chance of tension leading to fighting once they’d moved in. Tomorrow they’d be doing the actual moving back in. Although, most of their things were already here, so it was less like moving in, and more like returning home.

“Good afternoon.” Friday greeted. “Good to see you all again.”

“Awe, thanks Fri.” Clint said, waving a hand like he was embarrassed. The reaction among the group was half humor and half annoyance.

“I assume you’re here for the ‘Pre-Move-In Preparation’ day?” Friday prompted.

“Yes.” Steve affirmed, and Friday opened the doors and let them in. Once they were all in the lobby, the AI spoke again.

“You’re early.” Friday stated. “Mr. Stark is currently sleeping. I’m under instructions to not wake him unless absolutely necessary. I will wake him around the planned time for your visit.” She informed. “Would you like to wait in the communal area?” she asked, opening the elevator.

Natasha just shrugged and they all filed into the smaller space. They took the elevator to the living area to wait, getting ready to walk down the short hallway. There was noise, but Friday had said Tony was asleep.

“Wait.” Natasha threw her hand up and everybody froze. “I can hear someone.”

They all crept forward silently until Nat deemed it was within spying range and broke off from the group, signaling for them to wait. She peeked around the corner and took in the situation. There were three people in the room. Well, they were basically kids if she was honest. A frizzy haired girl, a twiggy sort of boy, and another chubbier boy all sat tangled together on one of the couches, despite the fact that they could literally each have a couch to themselves. They were laughing and talking and mashing buttons on controllers, some kind of fighting game was displayed on a massive screen. She returned to the group to report her findings, a bit confused.

“There are three teenagers in the living room.” She whispered.

“Teenagers?” Sam asked in disbelief.

“Yes, Teenagers.” She said slowly, repeating herself with a little annoyance.

“But why?” Bucky asked, just overall confused.

“Doesn’t Tony have issues with kids?” Steve tacked on. “I thought he didn’t like them.”

“You think he knows they’re here?” Clint asked to a near collective annoyed glare from the group.

“I really don’t think a couple of teenagers snuck into one of the most secure facilities in New York, just to play video games, Clint.” Nat deadpanned. “I’m pretty sure Stark knows they’re here.”

At this point what had started as a near silent conversation was becoming more akin to the loud gossip type whisper of high school students. Luckily, the noise coming from the kids was loud enough to cover it up as they continued to bicker.

 

“Pause it dorks.” MJ instructed, peeling herself away from the couch and stating. “I need another drink, and more Doritos, since _someone_ ate the whole bag.” She looked pointedly to Peter.

“Sorry MJ, but they’re my favorite.” He had the audacity to not even look the slightest bit sheepish.

“Well, mine too.” She sassed, patting his head with each word as she walked past. “So you gotta share.”

“MJ, can you bring me a soda?” Ned asked over his shoulder.

“Are your legs broken?” She asked him rhetorically.

“Pleeeeaase?” He begged with puppy eyes.

“Fine.” She relented with a smirk.

“Thank yoooou.” Ned sang, before pausing the game.

In the sudden absence of the videogame’s noise, they could hear the others in the hall, who hadn’t noticed the silence quick enough to stop talking. In a second, the three had reacted and went into an emergency response with practiced ease. Peter and MJ moved into fighting position, while Ned moved to take shelter. Peter prepped his webshooters and MJ activated her bracelets, the bands smoothly spreading outward over her hands into metal gloves.

“We know you’re over there.” Peter shouted, voice unsure. MJ almost rolled her eyes.

“So come out, hands up!” she ordered. “You only get one warning.” She threatened with enough confidence for both of them.

 

“Shit.” Clint reacted to the words shouted from the living room.

“Real discreet you guys.” Bucky said. Nat threw a death glare to Steve, Clint, and Sam.

“Well c’mon.” Clint prompted almost cheerfully, and she sighed heavily.

They all walked around the corner, but only Clint and Sam had listened to the girl. Bucky was oddly relaxed, almost smiling in amusement at the twiggy boy’s determination. He reminded him of Steve. Meanwhile Steve looked tense, as if ready to jump into action. Natasha just had her arms crossed, analyzing them.

Two of the teenagers had taken a fighting stance, and the third had clumsily jumped behind one of the couches. The girl was in an offensive stance, metal gloves covered her hands and crackled with electricity, and she did not look afraid to use them. The twiggy boy was in a more defensive stance, hands held in their direction, prepared to shoot them with something from a pair of wristbands. The boy behind the couch was panic whispering to a computerized voice, both unintelligible from the distance.

Twiggy boy faltered a bit in confusion and shock, when he realized who they were. The girl only looked surprised for a second, but still remained fiercely determined. She focused on Nat and Steve.

“You heard me.” She said towards them, fingers twitching, a few actual sparks coming from them.

Steve slowly raised his hands in honest confusion at this young girl’s strange aura of authority. Natasha raised hers if only to humor the girl. She’d already decided she liked this girl, and would probably adopt her on the spot if asked.

 

Tony’s voice arrived much sooner than he did, sliding around the corner of another hall, wearing one of his gauntlets looking concerned and oddly protective.

“Karen told me Ned activated the ‘Oh Shit’ protocol and I came up as fast as I could and…” he trailed off at the sight before him, just utterly baffled.  “…and what the hell is happening here?” He glanced between the two groups. The other Avengers, who had apparently surrendered, and his kids, who honestly looked a little formidable. He was kinda proud. He collected himself and his thoughts before he spoke. Everyone just stood there, comically frozen. He turned to the kids first.

“I forgot to tell you they were coming. My bad.” He explained and apologized, and then turned and pointed at the others. “And you’re early.” Everyone was still standing as if they were in a Mexican standoff. Tony disengaged the gauntlet.

“Kids, uh… stand down. I guess.” Tony said toward the teens. They lowered their weapons. Peter looked guilty, but MJ still looked suspicious. Ned popped up from behind the couch. “And you guys can put your hands down.” He looked at the others like it should’ve been obvious. He walked over and flopped on the couch cushions. “And I’m going to sit here for a moment because these kids are gonna give me a heart attack.” He took a deep breath and scrubbed his face. “Just. Everyone sit for a sec.”

Everyone else then awkwardly walked towards the couches and sat a comfortable distance apart. The kids sat next to Tony, returning to how they sat together earlier, but more protective. There was an uncomfortable silence while Tony just sat breathing deep with his eyes closed, a hand on one of his temples. Finally, he opened his eyes and spoke.

“So, I’m going to try to handle this without having an aneurysm.” He said, and then looked towards the rouge Avengers a bit accusingly. “You guys are too early, and I’m pretty sure this was somehow your faults. So you’re just going to have to wait while I deal with the more important things.” He turned to the pile of kids beside him. Peter looked nervous and guilty, Ned looked nervous and confused, and Michelle looked totally unfazed, but he knew she was secretly holding Peter’s hand for comfort. He spoke to her first.

“Michelle?” he started, waiting until she actually acknowledged him to ask in disbelief. “Were you literally about to try and square up with _five_ Avengers?”

“Yeah MJ, you can’t just throw hands with actual superheroes.” Ned added. She shrugged.

“With all due respect you guys. If I’m gonna go down, it’s gonna be in a blaze of glory, taking as many horrible assholes down with me as I can. I refuse surrender if I still have the power to fight.” She explained matter-of-factly.

“I think that’s the most badass thing I’ve ever heard you say.” Peter said, looking impressed.

“Thanks, Loser.” She smirked and nudged him. Tony sighed deeply.

“It was bad enough when I only had one stupidly reckless kid, now I have to deal with both of you. It’s taking years off my life.” He said, getting a mumbled ‘Sorry Mr. Stark’ from Peter. He looked at Ned sounding a bit more positive. “Getting to safety, a logical response in an emergency situation, thank you for being the only sensible one.” Ned nodded happily, but then Tony frowned. “That however, brings me to my next question. Why was this an emergency situation? Karen scared the shit outta me.” he sounded exasperated.

“It’s not our fault!” Peter defended weakly. MJ took over.

“They were skulking around the corner like creeps, spying on us.” She stated flatly, explaining. “We didn’t know who they were, they surprised us when we were alone, and so we reacted accordingly.”

“Fine.” Tony relented. “But I feel like we need to have a talk later about why you guys are so weirdly prepared for this type of situation with a Charlie’s Angels style plan.”

Everyone else had relaxed and watched his interaction with the teens in interest. He was acting like a dad. It was an honestly unusual sight. Tony turned toward them.

“Okay, so, introductions.” Tony said. “The kids all know who you are, so that makes it easier. This is Michelle Jones, Peter Parker, and Ned Leeds.” He pointed to each when he said their names.

“Hi.” Peter waved weakly, he was anxious.

“H-hello.” Ned stuttered, in awe that he was currently meeting the Avengers.

“Hey.” MJ said with absolutely no emotion.

The others gave a few awkward greetings.

“Well this has been weird.” Tony said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s go to one of the conference rooms and get the boring stuff out of the way before you all… wander around I guess? I didn’t really think that much ahead.” He told the Avengers.

The adults stood and milled around waiting for Tony to lead the way. Before he left, he thought better of it and turned back to the teens again.

“You just, continue what you were doing before, or whatever.” He instructed, then his voice turned stern. “No eavesdropping.” He pointed to MJ, and then Peter. “In any of its forms, no loopholes.”  He regarded all three of them, adding. “No explosions. No dangerous stunts. Just, don’t do the things you know you’re not supposed to.”

“Sure thing, Pops.” MJ said with a smirk and finger-guns. He sighed, there was a 50% chance they wouldn’t listen anyways. He turned to leave and walked away.

“The rest of you with me.” He said, sounding a bit defeated.

These kids were going to be the death of him.

 

After they’d arrived in the main conference room, everyone took their usual seats out of habit. They sat in silence, trying to figure out how to even begin after all of that.

“What’s the ‘Oh Shit’ protocol?” Clint suddenly piped up, sounding curious and amused.

“It’s for emergency situations when there are attackers, but I’m not there with them.” Tony sounded like he was reading it from a manual. “It alerts me so I can help.” He explained. “But if I can’t respond to the alert, it then activates the ‘Mama Bear’ protocol.” He added as a reflex, and then cringed when the others had this shared moment of amusement at the name. “I made the mistake of letting the kids name them.”

“What does that one do?” Sam asked, honestly curious.

“It activates a defense system in the house, and the AIs will protect them.” He explained. “Karen and Friday are capable of using security measures to ensure their safety.” He sounded exasperated when he added. “Peter gave them this unnecessary laser targeting thing, because he thought it would look ‘badass’ when it fired.”

“He’s not wrong.” Clint shrugged.

“What’s with the teenagers anyway?” Nat jumped in, and the others nodded in agreement to their shared question.

“I forgot to mention them earlier, but they’re pretty much a permanent presence at the complex, so you’ll have to get used to it. It’s… an experience.” He almost sounded apologetic. They looked confused, but he didn’t explain.

“So, important things about the kids.” He started suddenly. It seemed he was going to count them off on his fingers. One.

“Do not anger Michelle. Ever.” He warned. “Trust me. Each time I’ve experienced it, I was surprised she let me live.” Nat chuckled at this, and he said, dead serious. “I’m not exaggerating. She’s terrifying.”

Collective frowns. Two.

“Peter is an awkward nervous wreck most of the time, especially if he doesn’t know you, but he’s a good kid.” Tony said, and added “I think he might be a reincarnated golden retriever. So that’s fun.”

They were bit confused by his analogy. Three.

“Ned is probably the kindest, most supportive kid I’ve ever met.” He made this gesture that was like ‘buuuut…’ with his hands. “He’s a little too honest, and easily excitable. He can be a little overbearing.”

A few of them nodded in acknowledgement. Four.

“These kids are all way too smart for their own good, and the genius combined with the teen part can get them into shenanigans of all kinds.” He informed, adding. “Good luck, it’s everyone for themselves here when that happens.”

The other Avengers still looked confused.

“Alright. That’s the need to know info on them.” Tony clasped his hands. “I’m gonna go ahead and say, same house rules as before, because I don’t care right now. I don’t wanna deal with this shit.” He stood and leaned on the table. “I’m just going to go take a nap. Feel free to do whatever.” He started for the door. “Get to know the kids if you want. Don’t be too pushy though, they can be skittish.” He paused in the doorway. “And also, if anything happens to them, I’ll kill everyone in this room and then myself.” He threatened. “Bye.” He said in a false cheery voice and rushed down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what'd y'all think? Please tell me.
> 
> Also, I have no idea where this is actually going. It doesn't have any planned out scheme or plot. Just kinda going with it, ya know?


	2. Speculation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to try and figure out what's going on.

MJ was currently in the air vent above the conference room trying not to laugh. She was eavesdropping, just like they were told not to do, keeping the boys updated in the living room with a Stark pad. MJ never forgets anything, so she’d be giving them a full play-by-play after this. Sometimes the nerds just had her reenact the conversations she’d watched, complete with terrible voice impressions. It was actually pretty fun.

_Oh my god you guys, Tony legit just threatened them with that B99 quote we showed him._

 

After Tony left, everyone had just stayed in the conference room to discuss the new revelations.

“Theories?” Natasha asked the group.

“He adopted a bunch of teens on a whim.” Sam suggested.

“Doesn’t Pepper generally keep him from doing stupid life changing things after an impulse thought?” Steve asked.

“Usually. Or Rhodes.” Nat said.

“Tony was a total slut years ago, it caught up with him, and he suddenly lost three different paternity cases all at once?” Clint guessed, spinning in his chair.

“None of them look related to Tony, except maybe Peter.” Steve said.

“He did say they were all geniuses.” Clint reminded. “Maybe they all got his brains, but their mother’s appearance.”

“That’s honestly more likely.” Nat agreed.

“What if they’re new recruits?” Bucky spoke up for the first time.

“I don’t think he’s been sending out applications.” Steve said.

“Maybe they have powers? Or some kind of hero-y skills?” Clint speculated.

“Hero-y?” Sam repeated with a laugh.

“Shut up. You know exactly what I meant.” Clint retorted.

“That might actually be the most likely explanation.” Natasha said.

_So they have three theories about us:_

  1. _We’re all his adopted children._
  2. _We’re all his bastard children._
  3. _We’re all potential Superhero recruits._



 

“Seriously?” Sam asked incredulously.

“Well, not the Ned kid, I’m certain he’s human.” Nat paused. “But the other two… You never know, right?”

“They were very prepared for an intruder situation, and ready to fight.” Sam said. “They were already armed, while relaxing.”

“Normal kids don’t anticipate danger at any moment, just ready to react and fight in an instant.” Bucky said grimly. “I can’t imagine any kid living feeling like they need to always be alert and ready to protect themselves.” Bucky sounded sad. “Unless they’re like us.” The group felt a collective moment of concern towards whatever the teens were dealing with in their lives.

_I think they wanna find out our secret tragic backstories._

 

“Do you think they have any abilities?” Natasha asked.

“Michelle seemed to have this aura of power about her.” Steve said. “I swear when she said ‘you heard me’ it was like I could feel a physical force carried with it.”

“I believe it.” Clint nodded.

“And we don’t know if it was the gloves or her making the electricity.” Sam pointed out.

 

MJ was absolutely living for this right now.

_This is amazing. I cannot wait to tell you all of this. My dudes, this might even require popcorn._

“So Stark said they were smart.” Clint reminded, kicking his legs up to rest on the table, leaning back in his chair. “You wonder how smart they are?”

“Tony called them geniuses.” Steve said. “Isn’t he supposed to be one of the smartest people on earth?”

“Holy shit.” Sam exclaimed in realization.

“Those kids must be prodigies.” Natasha said, sounding impressed.

“He was right.” Clint said. “They are scary smart.”

 

MJ could’ve sworn she saw Clint glance at the vent, just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to spook her.

_I’m gonna come back before I get caught. Meet me in the library. They’re probably gonna head to the living room after this._

MJ retreated and moved through the vents toward the library.

Once there, she found the boys waiting for her. Peter helped her down from the vent, and they settled in. MJ started to recap what had happened, but she wasn’t even halfway through when Peter snapped his head towards the vent. He jumped up and whirled around pointing his webshooters at the vent opening. It opened a second later and someone dropped down through. He had just barely stopped himself from pressing the button on his palm when he realized who it was.

“Jesus, you guys literally are always ready to fight.” Clint said with an amused smile.

“Uuh…?” Peter asked oh so eloquently, still too surprised for his brain to catch up to make words.

“I came here through the vents after the meeting.” Clint answered simply.

“I knew you saw me.” MJ said accusingly. “Did you follow me or something?”

“Nope. But I figured Tony still has all the access to the ventilation in the bedrooms blocked off.” He explained. “You weren’t in the living room, and this seemed like the next logical guess.” Peter and Ned looked amazed but still nervous, she was still suspicious though.

“You gonna nark?” MJ asked him with narrowed eyes.

“Snitches get stiches.” He said seriously. MJ nodded once and relaxed back into her seat. The boys followed suit, and Clint joined them like they’d been friends for years, sprawling on a plush sofa.

The teens were quiet, unsure of what to do in this situation.

“Did you finish your story, or did I rudely interrupt?” Clint asked.

“You rudely interrupted” MJ confirmed. “And you scared us. Again.”

“Sorry about that.” Clint looked sheepish, but quickly bounced back and said. “I noticed you were doing some impressions of us.”

“Yes…” MJ answered slowly, not sure where this was going.

“I can do some too, can I help you finish the story?” He asked excitedly. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting, but she definitely liked the idea. Peter and Ned nodded at her with the puppy eyes.

“I guess.” She sighed, and the boys gave a silent cheer. She smirked. “Who you wanna be?”

“Nat and Bucky.” Clint answered with no hesitation. Again, not what they expected.

“Why not yourself?” MJ’s smirk had acquired a raised brow.

“Cause it’s fun.” He shrugged with a smile.

It was decided that they should just start the story from the beginning again, Clint and MJ acting out the conversation, making sure to be extra dramatic. They decided Clint was cool, and Clint decided that the kids were awesome.


	3. Waffles and the Power of Glitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn of the first day.

The next day, the others learned what the teens were like in the morning.

Ned was already up and talking Rhodes’ ear off in the kitchen when Steve and Sam went for a morning run. When they got back the others had gathered at the table with coffee, talking and joking while Ned helped Rhodes make breakfast. Each gratefully took their own plate of waffles from Ned, they’d missed Rhodey’s waffles.

Peter emerged much later, shuffling like a zombie to the table, flopping into his chair, and then immediately laying his head in his arms on the table.  Some unintelligible muffled words followed, but the others had no idea what he had said until Ned cheerfully told him ‘Good morning!’, and they all gave their greetings too. Ned turned around to continue making breakfast, but he talked to Peter too, the rest watching in wonder at how he could even understand. 

Muffled jibberish came from Peter and Ned retorted with a “I waited ‘til after ten, dude! It’s not like I woke you up for school.” More muffled nonsense. “Waffles, Rhodes style.” Ned answered. A pleased sound from Peter. “And… yours have strawberries.” Ned added, and there was a happy sigh from the lump of teenager on the table.

Much like Peter had shuffled in, Tony also looked like the undead. He came into the kitchen looking just done with everything, only staying long enough to make himself a coffee. He didn’t speak to anyone, only stopping to ruffle Peter’s hair in passing as he left.

Michelle was last, trudging in a few minutes after Peter, looking vaguely murderous. Her hair and eyes were like something out of a horror movie, only countered by the fact that she was practically swimming in her hoodie. It said ‘We should all be feminists.’ and it was technically Peter’s hoodie. She walked up to Ned menacingly, but the boy just smiled and handed her a steaming cup of tea. She remained emotionless for the encounter, just patting Ned’s shoulder in gratitude. She slumped into the chair across from Peter, holding her tea somewhat like Gollum holding the Ring, staring at its surface. It was silent at the table, and they weren’t really sure if it was safe to talk. She’d drank half her tea before Ned carelessly broke the silence, sliding a huge plate of strawberry waffles and syrup over to Peter.

He practically sprung to life at the sight of the food. Drowning the waffles in an excessive amount of syrup, and then eating them like he was starving. He went to reach for the syrup again, as if he actually need it, and MJ’s hand shot out and stopped him. Some of the others almost gasped. She locked eyes with him and gave him a warning.

“Save some for the rest of us, Parker.” She sounded deadly serious.

“But Em-” he had started to protest bravely, but she cut him off.

“Shut up.” Her voice raised slightly to ask. “Leeds, is there more syrup?”

“Yup. A whole bottle.” Ned answered. She regarded Peter for a moment before releasing his hand.

“You may proceed.” She conceded, to which Peter responded with a smile.

Ned walked over and sat next to Peter, carrying two plates of waffles. Rhodes followed with his own waffles and the extra syrup. A stack of chocolate chip was slid in front of MJ, and she actually gave a small smile.

“Thanks.” She said, artfully draping syrup over her waffles.

Rhodes was the one to ease the tension the other avengers were feeling, eating and causally asking the kids about the things they’d done while he was gone the last few days. Mostly videogames and movies it seemed, and then he asked a question that struck everyone’s interest.

“Build anything cool lately?” he asked curiously, and all three teens lit up with a smile.

“You know those smoke bombs we were improving on?” Peter asked excitedly, and Rhodes nodded.

“We had this idea, and it was so cool, but Tony said it was a bad idea.” Ned told them.

“But naturally, we did it anyway because Tony is lame.” MJ stated to a few chuckles.

“What did you do?” Bucky couldn’t help but be curious, and spoke before he realized it.

“So obviously smoke bombs are meant to distract enemies and such.” Peter explained “We were kinda thinking, why not add a little something just to make it more inconvenient.” He said with a proud smile.

“Why?” Steve was a bit apprehensive to know the answer.

“Out of spite and pettiness.” MJ supplied simply. “All that teen angst has to go somewhere.”

“Anyways.” Peter continued. “Not only do these bombs release dense clouds of smoke…” he paused just to be dramatic. “they also release a massive explosion of glitter.”

“Glitter?” Natasha sounded confused.

“Glitter.” MJ repeated with a nod.

“Why?” Sam sounded baffled.

“Have you ever used glitter for anything?” Ned asked. Sam slowly shook his head ‘no’.

“That shit is like the herpes of the craft world.” Clint interjected giving them an approving nod.

“He gets it.” MJ said with a smirk.

“I don’t.” Steve said, confused.

“So like, glitter is cool in theory and it is really pretty… but actually using it is like sacrificing something in your life. That shit gets everywhere.” Peter explained.

“Everywhere.” Ned emphasized. “You might think you cleaned it up, but you’re always wrong, you’ll always find it somewhere. It’ll stick to anything.”

“So when you use a bunch of it contained in a pressurized canister along with the smoke bomb canister.” MJ explained, almost sounding giddy. “You get this terrible magnificent explosion of cloudy darkness with glitter swirling everywhere, sparkling and disorienting, and it covers everything. It’s in the air, on your face, in your gear, in your eyes, whatever.”

“That’s just evil.” Clint said with awe, Bucky and Natasha nodded with approval.

“I don’t see how adding a craft material to a Stark smoke bomb would make it more debilitating.” Steve said skeptically, and Sam nodded in agreement.

“Oh my gosh, we haven’t had a test subject yet.” Ned said excitedly.

“Would you like to help us demonstrate the smoky glitter bomb?” MJ asked.

“Why not?” Sam said and Steve shrugged. The others all looked at them with faces translating to ‘are you serious?’ and all three teens had such mischievous smiles.

“Oh this is gonna be hilarious.” Clint said with glee.

 

Breakfast was finished in a rush and then the three teens were leading them to one of the testing labs, filled with excitement. Their behavior was making Sam and Steve question their decision, while the others were now filled with anticipation.

After the teens insisted that, yes, the quarantine test room was necessary, Sam and Steve were ushered in. The room had some basic furniture, and the two were also wearing their armor. On the other side of the ballistic grade glass, MJ loosely instructed to ‘do whatever you feel in necessary to protect yourselves I guess.’ Without any warning, she pressed a button and an object fell into the room from the ceiling.

The pill shaped canister hit the ground and bounced a few times before rolling to a stop. Sam and Steve leapt behind some of the furniture, shielding themselves. All was still for a second as the bomb beeped once and split into halves, and then the scene in the room went to all Hell in a spectacular explosion.

Dense purple smoke poured out of one half, quickly billowing into the air and spreading through the room. The second half burst open in the most aggressive use of glitter they’d ever seen. It exploded outwards with more force than expecting, and the wave of glitter was instantly everywhere and all encompassing.

Sounds of distress were coming from the room, but all that could be seen was a deep and murky purple nebula, swirling and sparkling with millions of luminescent colorful particles. It was even better than expected. Natasha, Clint, and Bucky were absolutely losing it with laughter while the teens were high fiving each other. It worked perfectly.

Another button was pressed, and sort of air filtration system activated. It took a few minutes for the smoke to clear, slowly revealing the room. The glitter remained in the atmosphere of the room floating everywhere and impossibly avoiding removal through the filter. Absolutely everything was covered and sparkling, including the two test subjects. They were coughing and attempting to remove the glitter from their faces and bodies to no avail.

“That was great you guys!” Peter said cheerfully through the mic. Steve was attempting to make it over to Sam, who held up a thumbs up in the wrong direction.

“Okay, questions for the subjects.” Ned said, all business. “Could either of you see anything during the dispensing of the smoke bomb?” The two shook their heads no. “Was the experience disorienting?” A nod yes. “Do you think you would’ve been able to attack or defend yourselves in the situation?” Another no. “Thanks, that’s all I need to know.” Ned finished.

“Do you two have any critiques, comments, or questions?” MJ asked flatly. Sam raised his hand in a small wave.

“There’s glitter inside me.” He rasped, glitter stuck to his tongue. “That was a nightmare.”

“I was wrong.” Steve said. He coughed and looked concerned when the puff of air came out with sparkles. “I don’t think you could _ever_ add anything else to a smoke bomb that would be _that_ debilitating.”

“Thank you.” MJ said smugly. “You guys can go to the decontamination area and try your best.”

Everyone was laughing as they watched Steve and Sam make their way over, grumbling in defeat. They spent more time in decontamination than when Tony accidentally released that mystery chemical that might’ve been deadly. No matter how hard they tried, they still sparkled.

[ _For the weeks after, they were subject to many Twilight jokes from the kids, and other jokes from their fellow Avengers. The glitter had infiltrated their rooms, and they had sparkles on their person somewhere for weeks. They would occasionally leave sparkles around the complex where they went. Eventually they’d give up and accept this as their new lives._ ]

It was only a few hours into their first official day back, and the returned Avengers had already learned four things about the teens. Ned was a morning person. Peter was not. Michelle was most definitely not. All three teens were indeed scary smart. They were all honestly relieved that Tony had found them before someone else did, because the kids would make great supervillains.

 

“Sir, the kids managed to convince Cpt. Rogers and Mr. Wilson to test one of their projects.” Friday said to Tony in his lab, adding. “I thought you might be interested.”

“Which project?” he asked curiously.

“Project Razzle Dazzle, Boss.” The AI answered. Tony instantly got the biggest grin.

“Oh my god, Fri, please send me the research footage.” He was already laughing and he hadn’t even seen it yet.

“Pulling it up now.” She replied, almost sounding amused herself.

He ended up watching the video multiple times, crying with laughter. He did warn them.


	4. Keeping Up Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pizza, movies, and questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, it's another poorly edited chapter. Have at it y'all.

When everyone had gathered around for dinner, no one was really feeling up to cooking anything, so it was decided that pizza would be easiest. Soon a very star struck delivery boy showed up with a massive stack of pizza boxes, and left with some autographs and a ridiculously large tip.

Talk was sparse, the adults not knowing what they should say to one another while remaining casual. At the end of the table, the teens were mostly oblivious to the awkward tension. Peter and Ned were chattering animatedly, with MJ watching and throwing in a comment here and there.

Sam hated to ruin their conversation, but he couldn’t stand sitting in the silence while Tony and Steve occasionally glared at each other. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he figured now was as good a time as any to get to know the kids.

“I know you’re young, but how old are you exactly?” Sam asked the kids suddenly. It was like a wave had passed through the atmosphere, clearing the negativity as everyone looked to the three and waited for them to respond. Peter and Ned cut off their discussion on continuity issues in cartoons, and all three kids looked to him, somewhat surprised.

“We’re sixteen.” Ned answered after a moment of hesitation. Peter and Michelle nodded.

“Where ya from?” Clint tossed out, still chewing, receiving a swat to the shoulder from Natasha.

“Queens.” Peter said, and something about the simple answer had hit Steve with an odd sense of déjà vu that he couldn’t place. He stayed quiet, he’d think about it later.

“So are you in school, or did you graduate super early like Stark here?” Nat asked next.

“We go to Midtown High School of Science and Technology.” Michelle said. “We’ll be juniors in September.”

“What do you do when you’re not in school, or here, doing whatever it is you do?” Sam asked.

“Um. We’re all on the academic decathlon team.” Peter said, looking a little proud when he added. “MJ is team captain.”

“Spider-Man saved our team from dying in DC last year after we won Nationals.” Ned interjected excitedly.

“That was you guys?” Steve burst out, sounding shocked and concerned.

“Well, I was in the elevator.” Ned informed.

“And we saw it from the ground.” Michelle answered for herself and Peter, who was looking a little lost and nervous. There was an uncomfortable pause where all the teens seemed to be remembering the event. It was enough of a hint to change the subject.

“So what sort of mischief do you have planned for after dinner?” Sam asked apprehensively, the vision of glitter and smoke flashing in his memory.

“It’s Friday.” Ned answered. “So we’re gonna watch a movie and maybe sing karaoke.”

“You guys wanna join us?” Michelle asked curiously. Everyone sort of got quiet, the question unexpected. They all looked at her, minds conflicted. Should they all do this together, or was it too soon? The sudden shift made Michelle nervous, so she stared at her hands in her lap. Peter noticed, so he held his hand out, their fingers lacing between them. She let out a shaky breath.

“Only if you really want to.” Peter threw out anxiously, diverting the attention from MJ to himself. Clint noticed how uncomfortable the poor kids looked, and tried to break the tension.

“So what are we watching?” he asked cheerfully, successfully throwing everyone off.

“Jurassic Park?” Peter said as if it was a question.

“I love that one!” Clint sounded excited. The atmosphere had returned to a relaxed state by this point.

“What’s it about?” Steve asked, deciding he would watch it with them even if no one else did. He knew that movie was on one of his lists of things he missed while frozen.

“Dinosaurs.” Ned answered.

“And how many stupid mistakes humans can repeat and never learn from.” MJ added. Tony sighed.

“Those dinosaurs are so scientifically incorrect.” He complained. “And none of them actually existed in the Jurassic era.”

“Tony, I didn’t come here for an education.” MJ said with a raised brow. Then she smirked. “I’m here to watch dinosaurs eat warmongering capitalists with a satisfying crunch.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“That’s fair.” He conceded.

“That review is enough to get me interested.” Bucky said to the teens, giving them a small smile. “I’m in.” Tony looked uncomfortable at this declaration, but said nothing. If it’ll make the kids happy, he’ll deal with it.

“Me too.” Sam said, and Natasha also nodded.

“I’ll make a bunch of popcorn while you guys clean up.” She said.

Dinner was finished quickly, and with everyone helping, the kitchen was cleaned up in minutes. They switched to helping make more popcorn, using every available method. They needed a superfamily sized amount. Soon they were all gathered in the living room, scattered about on the furniture. Tony sat as far away from Steve and Bucky as he could manage.

There was an awkward feeling among the adults, but it was easier to ignore once the movie started, and it was soon forgotten as the movie continued. The kids provided hilarious commentary, and occasionally Steve or Bucky would ask a question. As the credits began to roll, Tony regarded the teens.

“I’m not quite up to karaoke tonight.” Tony said, mostly to the kids. “Plus you three need to explain your overly complex rules to everyone, and that’ll take some time.” They looked a bit disappointed.

“Alright.” Peter said dejectedly.

“We could always watch another movie.” Clint suggested. The others nodded, Tony reluctantly agreeing. None were immune to Peter’s kicked puppy expression. He looked hopeful.

“Wanna watch the second one?” Ned asked the room.

“There’s another?” Bucky asked, seeming a bit excited about the prospect.

“There are five.” MJ informed him flatly. Steve and the others were a bit surprised by the way Bucky’s eyes lit up happily.

“Can we watch them all?” he requested, much to the joy of Peter and Ned. MJ just smiled a bit.

“Maybe not all of them tonight.” Natasha said with amusement.

“Party pooper.” Clint said, receiving a light shove from Nat.

The second movie was watched in the same manner as the first, with more commentary from the kids and questions from the two oldest Avengers. After the second movie had finished, most of the others dispersed, having had their fill of dinosaurs for the night. Only Clint and Bucky with remained with the teens.

“So… can we watch the third one?” Bucky asked hopefully. The others nodded in agreement. Why not?

“Barnes, you have great taste in movies featuring giant reptiles.” Clint said with a chuckle.

 

 

“You still do family night on Fridays?” Natasha asked, spooking Tony at his work bench. He flinched and dropped the tool he was holding. He turned around and gave her an annoyed look.

“Could you please not surprise me in my own lab. My heart is already stressed from the kids.” Tony complained, only to receive a smirk in return. He sighed and then answered her question. “Peter found out about it and insisted that I shouldn’t let family traditions die… even if the family was broken.” Tony said. “It’s almost impossible to say ‘no’ to that kid.” She nodded.

“He’s a sweet boy.” Natasha said with a small smile.

“I know.” Tony agreed fondly. “They all are.”

“So what’s their story?” She asked curiously. “How did the one and only Tony Stark end up with three kids while we were gone?”

“You know, the answer to that is a bit more complicated than it should be.” He said sounding somewhat sad. “Peter was first. Ned showed up a few months later. Michelle joined the party another few months after that.” He informed.

“Why?” Nat inquired.

“Peter and his friends seem to be a package deal.” Tony answered with a shrug. She shook her head.

“No. I mean why did Peter show up in the first place?” She elaborated. He frowned and thought about it for a moment.

“I think that’s his story to tell.” Tony decided. “If he even wants to tell it.” Natasha nodded, accepting his answer, she understood.

“I won’t pester him. He’ll do it in his own time.” She replied.

“That kid… He’s gone through way more shit in his life than anyone should, and he’s only sixteen.” He said sadly. “I don’t understand how he still manages to be so positive and optimistic. He’s too good for the universe to be treating him this way.”

“He’s strong.” She said. Tony nodded in agreement.

“Stronger than I’ll ever be.” He said with certainty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, looks like we might actually be getting somewhere, I think. Hell if I know, but I'm trying. Whatcha guys think?
> 
> PS Can you tell I love the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies way too much?


	5. The Music and the Lyrics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for some karaoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did y'all ask for a poorly edited and barely proofread chapter about karaoke with no furthering of any plot? No? Well here it is anyways.

_Karaoke Night will have a different theme each week._

_The person who chooses this theme is called the Theme Officiator. Position of Theme Officiator is alternated weekly through competition._

_A chosen theme can be as specific or vague as desired. Participants will pick a song that they think fits the theme. No two participants can choose the same song. Participation is voluntary._

_Once everyone has had their turn, both the audience and the participants will vote “Survivor style” on who’s performance they liked best. Out of fairness, the Theme Officiator’s performance will not be included in the vote, to prevent them from winning two in a row. The Theme Officiator will tally the votes and announce the winner._

_The winner gets to be the Theme Officiator during the next Karaoke Night._

 

The Avengers found themselves gathered in the living room, trying to absorb all the new rules the kids had explained for ‘Karaoke Night: Postponed Saturday Version’. The teens were finishing everything up before they started. Tony looked at the others, they might as well get a fair warning. He spoke suddenly, gaining their attention.

“When it comes to picking themes, they’re all different.” Tony said. “Peter is a wild card, always random. While Ned’s usually more practical.” He informed, looking to Michelle and receiving a smug look in return. “Michelle either picks something that has a serious meaning, or she picks something that she knows will probably make me uncomfortable.” He said, exasperated. “And lucky for us, it’s her turn to choose the theme this week.” He finished with a hint of dread.

“Michelle, please enlighten us to tonight’s theme.” Clint sounded so excited, asking. “Is it worldly or is it embarrassing?”

“It’s embarrassing.” Peter answered all too happily.

“Tonight’s theme is…” Ned followed him, trailing off with a small drumroll on the coffee table. They all looked to Michelle.

“Butts.” She said in a monotone voice, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. Tony sighed heavily while the others had various reactions of amusement.

“And your song choice is inappropriate, I assume.” He stated with a frown.

“Very.” Michelle confirmed with a smirk.

“Oh goody, this’ll be fun.” Tony said sarcastically.

“Hell yeah.” Clint agreed unironically. This got a collective smile from the teens.

“Kay, so he’s in.” Ned said as he tapped a few things on a tablet. “Who’s gonna sit this one out?” Tony, Steve, Bucky, and Sam all raised their hands. Ned wrote on the tablet again. That left one other person.

“Seriously Nat?” Tony asked incredulously.

“It does sound fun.” She shrugged, and then nodded to the teens. “And I appreciate their effort in making you uncomfortable, because it’s funny.” He frowned in annoyance while the kids smiled in amusement.

“Pick your songs.” Ned said, passing around the tablet. As everyone input their songs, MJ regarded the two oldest in the room.

“Our modern music is a bit scandalous compared to your old timey jams.” She told them. “It might be upsetting.”

“I’m sure we can handle it.” Steve said, eyebrows raised in disbelief. Bucky just shrugged.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Peter said with anticipation. “Who wants to go first?”

To the surprise of no one, Clint’s hand shot up first. He was given the Mic of Destiny, and everyone sat with curious anticipation. He did a pretty great performance of _Fat Bottomed Girls_ , hamming it up with some sick air guitar solos. Tony found himself singing along, and the teens were enthralled. When he finished he bowed with a flourish and was met with applause and a few cheers from the kids.

Peter went next, he had to do it before his nerves got the best of him in front of new people. He got knowing laughs from Ned and MJ when the beat started, and it gave him more confidence. Once he sang the first few lines of _Bootylicious_ , he was in the zone, mostly singing to the other teens. Tony rolled his eyes. Those three were weirdly competitive, especially with karaoke. It was like they were different people when they were performing. The anxious kid who called him ‘Mr. Stark’ and stuttered in front of strangers was currently attempting to dance like he was in Destiny’s Child, and he wasn’t doing bad.

At the end of the song Peter seemed to be jolted back into reality by cheers and applause. He blushed when he heard a ‘Yaaas boi.’ from MJ. He hurried to sit back down and passed the mic to Ned.

Ned tried to offer Nat the mic, but was quickly shooed to the stage instead. He looked like he was too scared to perform, but he heard a ‘Wooo, Ned!’ from Clint, and it gave him more confidence than his favorite hat. A cheer from an actual Avenger, this was the best moment ever. He started to sing _Honky Tonk Badonkadonk_ , and got really into it. He even attempted a sort of square dance that failed, but Peter and MJ joined him anyways, so he was trying not to laugh and sing. His resolve didn’t last long, and the rest of the song played while they all giggled and the adults gave amused applause.

Steve looked kinda ruffled by this point, but he looked more confused by this song than anything. Bucky and Sam were getting so much enjoyment out of watching Steve’s reactions to the music so far. Tony tried to hide it, but he thought Steve’s reactions were funny too. Steve had looked mildly surprised during Clint’s performance. Then he started to pay attention to the suggestive lyrics of Peter’s song choice and soon he was blushing and seemed kinda upset. Natasha smirked at him and took the mic once the kids had settled. If he was uncomfortable now, she was about to make it worse. Bucky and Tony looked like they couldn’t wait to see what she’d do.

To the surprise of everyone but Clint, Nat did an excellent rendition of the _Thong Song_. She sang to Tony and got an annoyed frown from him, and then to Steve, who was now absolutely blushing and looking shocked. The kids and Clint sang along from their seats, and Bucky was just taking in the whole scene with amusement. At the end of her turn, she bowed as if she had just performed something classical in a theatre. Bucky and Sam clapped, the kids cheered, and Clint pumped his fist.

“That’s my woman right there.” He said proudly, receiving a snort in return from Natasha as she moved back to her seat next to him.

Michelle went last, and if Tony’s look of pure dread meant anything, Steve was certain this song would probably be the worst. She took the floor and had and almost evil grin as the music started. Peter and Ned sported matching grins once they recognized the song. This was gonna be good.

Michelle then proceeded to do a killer performance of _Ass Drop_. She sang it with the same attitude as Wiz Khalifa, the perfect amount of cockiness showing through in her voice. Clint and Peter both joined her, making terrible attempts at twerking as she sang and rapped along to the music. She was putting in way more energy and passion than the song required, hyped up and having a blast. The song eventually ended, and she finished with a curtsy and a smug smile.

Tony looked appalled and fed up with the world, her mission to make him uncomfortable a huge success. Steve’s reaction was a bonus. He looked like his soul was ready to leave his body, face burning bright red and holding a very shocked expression. Everyone else clapped and cheered through laughter at the two disgruntled Avengers.

“Congrats Michelle, you’ve shaved a bit more of my life away, pushing me ever closer to my inevitable death.” Tony informed sarcastically, but without malice.

“Thank you, Tones.” She said sincerely, flopping back down on the couch with the others. Steve seemed to collect himself enough to regard the teens with a concerned frown.

“You guys are just teenagers, and you listen to music like _that_?” Steve asked in disbelief. “It’s filthy. Aren’t you too young for that?”

“Steve, if I do recall correctly, you were ‘just a teenager’ when you were trying to sneak into the army for an actual war.” Bucky reminded. “I think listening to some dirty lyrics is a bit better than signing yourself up to die.” He shoved his shoulder lightly and Steve looked sheepish. “Don’t be patronizing, just have fun.”

“I liked the song.” Clint stated, earning some confusion from most of the other adults. The kids looked excited at this admission, and Bucky nodded his head in agreement. The incredulous look Steve threw at Bucky started another wave of laughter.

“Alright my dudes, time to vote.” Michelle prompted. Soon the votes were collected and tallied. There was a moment of silence while everyone sat in anticipation.

“Natasha wins!” Michelle announced happily to the group. Words of congratulations were offered to Nat, and thus ended Karaoke Night: Postponed Saturday Version.

 

Later that night, Steve was having an existential crisis while staring at his ceiling. Wondering what the world has come to, feeling out of place in a future where there are songs about badonkadonks and people dropping their asses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was alright. I tried to put something up cause I feel like I'm taking way too long and I don't wanna be disappointing. Sorry for the wait, y'all. Working on it.
> 
> The song choices in this chapter are a combination of my own taste in music and a google search of "songs about butts" lol. 
> 
> Here's the playlist for those interested:  
> Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen  
> Bootylicious by Destiny’s Child  
> Honky Tonk Badonkadonk by Trace Adkins  
> Thong Song by Sisqo  
> Ass Drop by Wiz Khalifa


	6. Stark's Home for Broken Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's short, and it's not really edited or proofread, but it's something.

On Sunday, the absence of two members of the teen trio was noticed by the returned Avengers. They’d seen Peter around the compound throughout the day, but he’d either been alone or with Tony.

Natasha, Clint, and Sam were at the kitchen table talking after they’d eaten lunch. Peter ventured into the kitchen after a while, on a mission for food, almost not realizing the others were in the room.

“Hey kid, what’s up?” Clint greeted, causing Peter to flinch a bit in surprise.

“Oh. Uh. Hi?” He replied nervously, giving the others an awkward wave. “I was gonna make some sandwiches.”

They nodded in acknowledgment and then returned to their conversation. The boy rummaged around in the cupboards for ingredients, and then set about making himself four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, stacking them on a plate. They let him go about his business for a moment before the curiosity got them better of them, sharing a glance before looking to him again.

“Where are the other two?” Sam asked Peter. He turned around to face them, holding his plate and looking mildly surprised that they were actually talking to him.

“Tony said you guys were a package deal.” Natasha added with a joking smile.

“I guess we usually are.” Peter admitted and gave a small smile back. “They had to go home.”

“Home?” Clint sounded a bit confused.

“Yeah.” Peter confirmed, explaining. “It’s Ned’s turn to babysit his younger siblings. MJ went with him cause her dad wanted her to come home.”

“So they don’t live here?” Sam asked for clarification.

“Well, if you’re going by how much time they spend here, MJ’s here more often than she’s home since the summer started.” Peter informed. “I’m technically the only one who actually lives here.”

“Peter, do you mind if we ask why?” Nat asked, all three waiting for his answer. He hesitated for a moment, not sure he wanted to tell them just yet.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go.” He stated simply, remaining vague. “This is my home.”

In the few seconds of silence that followed, Peter scurried out of the room anxiously, leaving them with more questions than before. Afterward, he seemed to avoid them for the rest of the day. Sam felt a built guilty for prying, the boy obviously wasn’t comfortable with them yet. The kid would open up to them at his own pace, if he even wants to open up at all.

 

“You researching the kid?” Clint’s voice echoed from an air vent in the corner of the room, before he was falling out of it and standing up.

“You know, our room does have a door.” Natasha scolded from the bed without looking up from her computer. “You don’t have to drop through the vents or jump through the window all the time.”

“Where’s the fun in that though?” Clint asked as he walked to the bed and sat beside her. “Couldn’t resist huh?”

“You can’t tell me you weren’t thinking about doing it too.” She retorted.

“The mystery is killing me.” He admitted.

“I was about to skim through his public records, if you’d like to join me.” Nat tempted him.

“Scoot over.” He said, nudging her over and getting comfortable.

Their curiosity slowly faded into concern and sadness with the more they read. Files, documents, and news articles told a story of his life and his unfortunate experiences. Peter had lost everyone.

“Bucky was right.” Clint said after a while. “He is like us.”

“He’s so young to have gone through so much.” Natasha agreed sadly.

“It seems everyone who lives here has a shitty past.” He observed. “Go figure.”

 

“Why did you adopt Peter?” Natasha asked, voice cutting through the otherwise silent lab as she casually walked out of the shadows. Tony jumped up with a shout, knocking over his chair and whirling around, pointing the gauntlet he happened to be working on in her direction. He realized who it was and instantly shifted from panic to annoyance.

“Jesus Christ, Nat!” Tony exclaimed. “Again? Really?” She shrugged, rolling her eyes when he mumbled ‘good way to get blasted by a laser’ while picking up his chair and sitting back down. “Did you go spying on Peter?” He asked, looking mildly upset. “Did you give the kid a damn criminal background check?”

“I only went through public records.” She stated simply, acting like it was perfectly normal.

“You’re ridiculous.” He said, squinting at her with disdain.

“And you’re not answering my question.” Natasha countered. Tony sighed and all his usual bravado seemed to fade. He looked sad.

“He had no one left.” He said quietly. “You obviously read about what happened to his family.”

“I understand that part.” She said, giving him a curious look. “But why did Tony Stark adopt some orphaned kid from Queens?”

“Because he’s not just some kid, Natasha. He’s Peter.” Tony replied, voice strong. “I refused to watch him get his spirit snuffed out by the cruelty of the world.” He insisted. Nat nodded and prompted him to explain further. “Peter is too good a person, and too pure a soul, to just be shoved aside and forgotten. He’s so kindhearted, despite the universe giving him every reason not to be.” His gaze had become distant.

“You care about him a lot.” Natasha said softly with a small encouraging smile. He focused on her again.

“I love him like he’s my own son.” Tony admitted. “He is my son.” He corrected himself with a small nod. “I’m just trying to do right by him. He deserves so much more than what he’s been given by life.”

“He’s lucky to have you.” Nat observed. He shook his head.

“No. I’m lucky to have him.” Tony responded seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I hope this chapter was okay. I'm trying cause I love and appreciate ya'll.


	7. What's in a Name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some names and their significance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Just crawling out of my goblin cave to give you this.

It had been a week since Bucky and the others had come back and met the teens. He had found he liked being near the kids, and would occasionally sit in the living room with them. He mostly sat quietly in their presence, doing his own thing while they did theirs. The first time, they were skeptical and nervous, wondering his intentions. After a few days they’d gotten used to him, watching movies and playing videogames like he’d always been there. He was grateful for their acceptance, and the company made him feel more human. The atmosphere usually reminded him of when he and Steve were young. When they still had their families and life was almost normal. Back when things weren’t so complicated.

“Why are you called ‘The Winter Soldier’?” Michelle asked suddenly, pulling Bucky out of his musings and causing Peter to crash in Mario Kart. Ned paused the game. They all looked at her with varying levels of shock and disbelief.

“MJ, I don’t think that’s something you just ask someone.” Peter said incredulously. Bucky was thrown off. Did she not know everything he’d done? That he’d been a monster?

“I understand all the messed up shit it relates to. I’m not talking about that.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m literally just asking, does that name have any actual significance or meaning?” She was genuinely curious. “Cause if not, they had some much more fun options.” She listed of a few on her fingers. “The Autumn Assassin, The Spring Samurai. The Summer Warrior.”

“The November Knight.” Peter couldn’t help himself and had to join in.

“The January Janissary.” Ned suggested with a smile.

“The Harvest Hitman.” Peter tossed out excitedly.

“The Fourth of July Killer Guy.” MJ said dramatically, with some jazz hands for emphasis.

“I like that one. Nice and ‘Merican.” Peter complimented around laughter.

“The March Mercenary.” Ned added in, face scrunched in thought.

“I think I peaked, to be honest. I will never do as good as ‘Fourth of July Killer Guy’.” MJ said seriously, Ned and Peter gave solemn nods. It grew silent for a moment as they tried to think of more names.

“The Holiday Hitman.” Peter said like a revelation a few seconds later, Ned and MJ immediately grinning at his words. MJ gasped, having a revelation of her own.

“Oh my god. He could murder people while wearing a festive sweater!” She exclaimed. The three fell into a fit of giggling.

“I’m called the White Wolf now.” Bucky finally interjected. They’d almost forgotten he was there. He smiled in amusement. “But the Autumn Assassin is pretty good too.” He said with a nod. “I like ‘Fourth of July Killer Guy’, but it’s a little too specific. Plus, I think Steve has claim over the Fourth anyway, being Mr. America and all that.” He finished with a chuckle. It was honestly kind of healing to hear others talk about his past without making it seem taboo.

“The White Wolf…” Ned repeated with a sort of reverence.

“Badass.” Michelle gave an approving nod, with Peter nodding in agreement. Bucky was smiling in amusement.

“Thanks.” He said with a chuckle, and gestured to the game controllers. “So… can you guys teach me how to play this thing?”

“Yes.” Three voices replied in unison, the unintentional harmony making them giggle.

 

**************

 

When Natasha walked into the viewing room above the tactical training area, she honestly had no idea what to expect. She’d been looking for Clint, and the kid’s AI had happily told her that he was with the teens, and where they were. Tony stood near the glass, occasionally chuckling at whatever was happening. She joined him curiously, and he gave a noise of acknowledgement, his attention never straying from the ruckus before him. The chaos happening below was far more entertaining than what she’d planned on doing anyway, so she decided she’d watch this instead.

The group of four were scattered among a street with apartments and a park, or at least that’s how the scene had been set up. Everything was solid colors and lacked details. Wielding plastic weapons and armor, their movements suggested they’d split into teams. Clint was gesturing to Ned from across the room, receiving some undistinguishable gesturing in response, and it looked like he was somehow understanding the message. Peter hovered around Michelle defensively while she seemed to be on the offense, face serious and movement more strategic.

“What are they doing?” Nat asked curiously.

“Nerf battle.” He answered, watching Clint line up a clear shot from a fake tree as Peter remained oblivious and in the open. He fired and the dart soared through the air, hitting and sticking to the armor over the boy’s heart.

Peter stumbled to his knees dramatically, clutching his chest where he’d been shot with the foam dart. MJ ran to him, falling to her knees as well, cradling him against her.

“Avenge me, MJ.” He gave a few incredibly fake coughs. “Avenge me…”

“Peter, nooooooo!” The girl wailed to the sky as he flopped back and splayed out on the floor, apparently dead. An entirely unbelievable performance.

“Peter has fallen, player defeated.” Karen announced. The other three gave salutes as the AI played a song over the PA system. They stood solemnly as _Mmm’ Whatcha Say_ sounded from the speakers for about thirty seconds. Natasha turned to Tony with a brow raised in question.

“It’s a meme.” He basically sighed in response. Some of the things the kids did, he just stopped trying to understand long ago. The song ended and MJ gave an angry war cry, and the action resumed. While watching the rest of the scene unfold, Natasha remembered something she’d been wondering about.

“Why do they call her MJ, and you call her Michelle?” She asked suddenly, dragging his attention away from the nerf battle.

“Only her friends can call her MJ” He explained. “You have to earn it.”

“Have you?” She smirked.

“I honestly don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’m too afraid to risk it, so I just stick to Michelle.”

While they were distracted, MJ took out Ned with ease, movements fast and decisive. Karen announced his loss, and the song played again. Ned crawled over to the ‘corpse pile’ where Peter was now sitting, so they could watch the rest of the match together from a platform at the edge of the room. It was down to just Michelle and Clint. From what Natasha learned about Michelle in the past week or so, she knew this was bound to be interesting.

Clint had stationed himself up high on a fire escape, the perfect vantage point to see all of the exits Michelle could use from her hiding spot. She was weighing her options, two guns, one dart left. A determined and mischievous smile lit up her features as the idea hit her.  She threw her empty gun toward the other end of the ‘alley’ she was crouched in. As it clattered on the ground she ran out the other side, and while Clint’s attention was occupied by the sudden disturbance, she took aim.

She fired in the split second before Clint whipped around, realizing he’d been tricked. The dart hit him smack on the chest before he could even begin to retaliate. Michelle jumped in victory, Peter and Ned running over to join her celebration as Clint groaned in defeat. Peter was chanting ‘Em! Em! Em!’ while Ned gave a prolonged ‘Woooo!’, despite having been on the opposing team.

“Welp. Victory lunch is on Clint.” Tony said with amusement. “Let’s go. The kids are going to have him take us into the city.”

“Us?” Nat followed him out of the room, his goal clearly being to meet the others before they left.

“Obviously. I was Team Michelle and Peter all the way. A truly dedicated fan should join in the celebration too.” He managed to make the simple statement sound like a pretentious sports fan. Nat just scoffed at his antics, letting her mind wander in the silence as they walked.

“Peter calls her Em sometimes.” She mentioned after a short while. The slightly different name used during his chant had not escaped her notice.

“Only he can call her that.” Tony replied seriously. “Michelle seems all tough, but she’s a total softy for Peter.” He looked to her with a knowing smile. “Kinda like you and Clint.”

“Treading on some thin ice there, Stark.” Her eyes narrowed threateningly.

“You didn’t deny it though.” He said cheekily, calling her bluff.

“So are they together?” She opted to ignore his teasing.

“As in a couple? No.” He answered. “It’s honestly so frustrating to deal with, because we all know they want to be together, but they aren’t for some reason.” He looked and sounded so fed up with the kids. He was such a dad. It was different side of him, but it was a good different.

“Young love can be confusing, and teenagers can be stupidly oblivious sometimes.” Nat mused as they walked to the elevator.

“Extremely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was enjoyable to y'all. I throw my love into the void to you. 
> 
> Also! I made a fan art Instagram account, if anyone is interested. That way y'all are getting some kind of content from me, even though it's not what you're asking for. So yeah. Gimme a follow if you're inclined, you'll find me as "grumpybirb" over there.


	8. Mediators

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why should the teenagers have to be the mature ones?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I finally got something done. And by that I mean, I don't exactly like it, but I also can't get myself to make it any better, and it's necessary for the story to move on... so it is what it is.

Peter was anxious. Well, honestly, he was always anxious. The last few weeks though, it’d been worse. He wasn’t too averse to change, but since the others had returned, the atmosphere around the compound put him on edge sometimes. It’d gotten a little better over time as Tony and the others cleared the air between them.

Natasha and Tony had talked things out shortly after her return, she was never one to procrastinate. Although they didn’t agree on some of the choices they’d made, he understood why she’d done what she did. She was never really on anyone’s side but her own. Problems needed to be solved, truth needed to prevail, and she did what she felt was right.

Clint was… well, he was Clint. His motivations for fighting in Germany were never really clear to Tony, but he suspects it was only for the thrill of the challenge of an actual fight with Natasha. They’d never had any major dispute, and he might’ve joined him if he’d called first. He didn’t really comprehend how they worked as a couple, but he didn’t really want to try. He’d once caught them making out on the mats in the training room after Nat had given Clint a bloody nose and almost broke his arm. Since then he’d rather stay out of their business.

Sam had apologized to Tony, but he was mostly concerned with how Rhodes felt. The three had a quick conversation over coffee, and that seemed to be it. Sam had been spending time with Rhodes, either to help with physical therapy or just to keep each other company. They even found they had a shared love of cooking. Tony appreciated the man’s efforts, and they’d gotten a little closer too. Not quite friends yet, but they were working on it.

Neither Steve or Bucky had tried to approach the subject, and it was obvious that Tony wasn’t going to either. Therein lied Peter’s problem. Every time Tony was in the same room as one, or both, the tension was palpable. Even if they weren’t interacting, he could feel it in the air. His spider sense buzzed constantly in the back of his mind, waiting for something to happen. It made him beyond nervous and he wasn’t sure he could handle it anymore. He was bound to break eventually.

 

Soon, at dinner one night, it happened. He couldn’t get himself to eat, the animosity floating around the three was making him lose his appetite. If any of the others noticed the mood between the men, they didn’t acknowledge it. Conversation kept flowing like everything was normal. Peter hadn’t touched his food, and he’d begun rocking in his seat ever so lightly. No one else noticed, but MJ did. She nudged his knee under the table.

“Are you okay?” She asked under her breath. Her voice was quiet enough for only super hearing to pick up, but it was still filled with concern.

“I’m fine.” He sounded totally not fine.

“Liar.” She hissed back. She glanced at the adults and frowned. “Say something to them, or I will. I’m not gonna watch you deal with this shit when it’s not even your problem.”

He knew she would do it, so he took a deep breath to try and settle his nerves. He just had to say something. Literally just speaking. It was that easy. It wasn’t like he was cornered in an alley with no web fluid. So why did it feel impossible? He was building up the determination, trying to think of what he should say.

While he was mulling over his words, he watched Steve and Tony catch eyes and proceed to glare at each other. That one little motion set him off faster than he would’ve imagined. He stood quickly, chair squeaking against the floor as he threw his hands up in frustration.

“Will you guys just stop?” He shouted more than asked, and everyone grew silent. They weren’t sure they’d ever seen him upset before. No one knew how to react.

“Stop what, Pete?” Tony ventured first, and almost regretted it with the look he got in return.

“You three!” He gestured accusingly at them. “Just stop.” They looked confused.

“We weren’t even speaking.” Steve pointed out, and that just made him angry.

“Exactly. You aren’t. You haven’t! But you need to talk.” He looked like he couldn’t believe that they hadn’t figured that out yet. “Things are never going to get better if you keep acting the way you do and I don’t think I can take it anymore. I’m anxious enough on my own, and you’re just making it so much worse. I know bad things happened and I know that it sucks, but you need to deal with it. You have to talk to each other about what happened. It doesn’t have to be all at once and it’s not gonna fix everything immediately, but you have to try. Stop making all of us suffer because of your own damn problems. It’s not fair.” He started his rant sounding angry, but by the end it had become disappointment. The three men had looks of surprise and guilt, and Tony felt so ashamed that he’d let Peter down.

After what felt like a few years of absolute silence with all eyes on him, Peter started to hyperventilate realizing what he’d just done. He had shouted at two Avengers. He’d shouted at Tony. _His dad._ The last time he’d gotten angry and yelled at his family, he lost Uncle Ben. A wave of guilt and panic washed over him, and he started shaking.

“Oh my god. I just- I shouldn’t have- I’m so sorry.” His words were quiet and scared.

He started to back up, fumbling over the chair a bit, and ran before MJ could reach out to him. The distant sound of his door slamming made her heart hurt. Those idiots upset her boy, and she wouldn’t let it slide, but right now he was more important.

“I’m gonna go help Peter, since he’s probably having a mental breakdown.” She got up to leave, but before she went, she turned to the three morons. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes could probably burn through their souls. Her quiet voice had a dangerous edge. “Get. Your shit. Together.”

She left them in a tense atmosphere, and it wasn’t long before the others voiced their opinions as well. It seemed everyone felt the same. Things would have to change between the three, and soon.

 

Around three in the morning, Tony wandered into the kitchen to make himself a coffee. Peter had convinced Pepper that he shouldn’t have a coffee machine in the lab anymore, something about never leaving the lab messing with his sense of time and how it was better for his health. He felt it was a bit inconvenient, and tried to argue that it was unnecessary, but Peter was just as stubborn as Pepper with these kind of things. When the two were united on something, he always lost the argument, if he bothered to argue at all.

He wasn’t really surprised to find Bucky in the kitchen. Like Peter, he seemed to make a habit of keeping himself awake instead of dealing with his nightmares. He was reading a book and drinking tea, both of which Tony was sure Michelle had recommended. The two didn’t really acknowledge each other, but as he made his coffee his mind wandered back to what Peter had said at dinner. He had no idea how to even approach the situation. How did he begin?

Well, here goes nothing, he supposed.

“Why do you spend so much time with my kids?” Tony asked suddenly. The question had been nagging in his mind since the other Avengers’ first week back at the compound. Bucky looked surprised he was talking to him at all, and then he looked thoughtful.

“They make me feel human.” Bucky answered simply. “More hopeful, I guess?”

“Like maybe everything could be okay eventually.” He understood the feeling.

“I’ve been alive for a century. I was alive while Steve was frozen.” Bucky began, clearing his throat in discomfort, about to say things he hadn’t really told anyone. “But in all that time, I never got a chance to just live. I stopped living the moment I fell off that train. I was brainwashed and used like a puppet for murder, trapped deep in my own mind, helpless to stop it… I wasn’t me. Now though… I feel like I’m finally getting that chance. To just live and figure out who I am again. The kids… they treat me like I belong, even if I don’t feel like it. They might not realize it, but they’re helping me learn how to be a part of a family again. How to be whole again.”  When he finished, Tony was quiet, deliberating what to say next.

“Barnes… I want you to know that I forgive you, for my parents… or at least I’m trying.” He felt unsure about what he was doing, but he figured that honesty deserved honesty. “But I have to work through some shit myself before I can trust you.”

“I understand.” Bucky said seriously. The room fell silent once more.

They stood there for a few more moments, until Tony couldn’t deal with the awkward feeling anymore. He gave a slight wave as he retreated back to his lab, leaving Bucky alone once again.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

 

It had been peaceful in the living room. Had been. Now though? The sound of Iron Man and Captain America arguing was pouring from the kitchen. Michelle had been drawing people from what was sadly considered ‘reality television’, but now she couldn’t focus enough to capture the essence of their crisis. This was ridiculous. She got up and stormed into the kitchen, slamming her sketchbook down on the table with a resounding slap. Both men flinched and fell silent, looking at her in confusion.

“I came up here to get a break from Peter and Ned, but you’re just as obnoxious.” MJ scolded them as if they were children and not decades older than her. She pointed at Steve. “You’re being passive aggressive.” She then pointed at Tony. “And you’re being petty.” She regarded them both with distain. “Give me your papers.”

Tony handed his over, much to Steve’s surprise. He hesitated, looking incredulous.

“I’m not asking for your permission, Mr. America.” MJ said with a frown. He looked like he wanted to argue.

“Steve.” Tony said seriously, shaking his head slightly in warning. “Give her your papers.”

He handed over his papers, shocked. This was the first time Tony had called him ‘Steve’ since all the Accords stuff happened. They sat in silence for a while as Michelle went over the small section they were working on. She set the documents down.

“So what’s the problem?” She asked them. “No bullshit or bias. One sentence answer.” The men were silent for a bit as they thought.

“We can’t seem to come to a compromise.” Steve ventured, and Tony nodded reluctantly in agreement.

“That’s because you shouldn’t be compromising.” Michelle said.

“What?” Tony and Steve asked simultaneously.

“When you compromise, no one is completely satisfied with the result.” She explained. “If you collaborate, everyone is happy.” She squinted her eyes and said no-nonsense. “So you two gotta put your old man feud on pause for a bit, and work together until your ideas mesh well enough that both of you get what you want and what’s best for everyone.”

They seemed confused as they watched her pick up her sketchbook and walk away. MJ threw one last comment over her shoulder.

“If you geezers can’t figure it out, I’ll be in the living room.” She sounded annoyed.

They sat in silence among their papers for a while, absorbing what she’d said.

“Is she always like that?” Steve questioned when he was certain she was gone.

“Yeah.” Tony shrugged, like he was used to it.

“Does she… have mental powers, or something?” He found himself whispering, afraid of gaining her attention once more. “A small teenage girl shouldn’t be that intimidating and radiate that much authority.”

“I don’t think so… but I’m honestly not sure.” Tony admitted after a moment of thought. “She’s full of secrets.” That answer didn’t exactly put Steve’s mind at ease, but he soldiered on.

“Alright, let’s ‘put our old man feud on pause for a bit’ and see if we can work this out.” He said, quoting Michelle’s earlier instructions.

“Quietly and rationally.” Tony added with a serious frown. “We do not want her to have to come back.”

“Agreed.”

The rest of the meeting was the most productive they’d been together while amending the Accords, and they actually made some decent progress on the section they were revising. Michelle was able to happily resume drawing, trying to get the B-List celebrity’s ugly crying face just right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the chapter was alright.
> 
> A belated Merry Christmas to y'all. If you celebrated yesterday, I hope it was a good one. I did all my usual holiday traditions. 
> 
> I got cross-faded on Christmas Eve and built those gingerbread houses from a generic supermarket kit. It's so much more fun when the whole family is inebriated, especially when one falls apart and your drunk brother says "Can I just yeet mine as hard as I can off the back porch?" 
> 
> Christmas Day we went to my grandparents, and it's always the same. I ate the best food I'll have all year, and internally grumbled about how my step-grandmother is such an amazing cook but an awful person. Played a game of 'how long will it last before she says something problematic and ruins it', and listened to my great-grandmother ramble about what life was like "back in England during the war".
> 
> So a totally typical holiday. I'm curious, so if you feel like it, tell me some of your unconventional traditions.
> 
> Love, Grump
> 
> PS. I deleted both my personal rambles, but I want y'all to know that I read and appreciated every comment, even though I didn't respond to them. Some of you were so wonderful to me, and I'm very grateful.


	9. Maximum Marshmallow Velocity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fun squad shenanigans, and some more of the poor lab rats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm literally posting this as soon as I finished it, because I just had to share it with y'all. So I apologize for any mistakes I missed, but I was too excited. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Clint hadn’t seen the teens since breakfast that morning. It seemed they weren’t actually in any of the compound’s buildings, but other than that little tidbit of information, Friday had been mostly unhelpful. He was pretty sure the AI didn’t like him, but he suspected that stemmed from Tony’s usual annoyance towards his behavior.  Karen though, she was pretty cool in his opinion. She was like a supportive and chill robot mom, as opposed to Friday’s general passive aggressive secretary vibe.

Much to his excitement, chill robot mom told him that the kids were at the archery range. Of all places, they were at one of his favorites. He had a feeling that they were up to something, and he wanted in on it. It was certain to be good.

So now he found himself journeying to the range, enjoying the sunshine and birdcalls along the way. The city birds never sounded this pretty, it was a shame. Soon, he could hear the teens as he walked along the boundary hedge. He couldn’t see them, but he wondered if he should be concerned based on what he heard.

“Ow. Shit. Still too fast. That one’s gonna bruise.” Peter’s voice carried from far off. “Turn the power back a bit and try again.”

“Ready for trial sixteen?” Michelle called to him, sounding much closer.

“As I’ll ever be.” The reply came back with a hint of sarcasm.

When he finally got to the entrance he gave a pause in confusion at the scene before him. Michelle was standing at the shooting station with what looked like a weapon. Ned sat a bit behind her with a laptop and some notebooks, a toolbox close by. Peter however, was standing among the targets, the absolute worst place to be. He was wearing safety glasses, but Clint failed to see how that could protect him at all. Michelle looked to be aiming again, so he spoke up to put a stop to whatever this was, at least temporarily.

“Hold up.” His voice cut through the air, gaining the attention of the three. “What the hell are you three doing? Is that a gun? Were you going to shoot Peter?”

“Testing a project, kinda, and yes.” Ned answered from his spot on the ground as Michelle lowered the gun from a firing position, thankfully. But still…

“Kinda?” That word definitely sent up a red flag back in the responsible part of his brain, but the other part was curious.

“It shoots marshmallows.” Michelle shrugged. Peter jogged over to join the others while their activity had been put on pause, and he gave Clint a little wave in greeting.

“We’re trying to find the appropriate power level to fire a marshmallow at a velocity low enough to not injure the target.” Ned elaborated. “But still be annoying.”

“So you’re practicing on Peter?” Clint was skeptical of their choices.

“He volunteered.” Michelle supplied blandly.

“He did?” That actually didn’t surprise him. He should probably be filled with more disbelief than he was, but the kids were predictably unpredictable.

“I did.” Peter answered with a nod of confirmation.

“Isn’t that a little reckless? You’ve got to be covered with bruises by now.” A little bit of dad brand concern cropped up in his mind.

“I’ll heal.” Peter waved his hand dismissively, getting an unsure frown in return. Michelle spoke up before he decided to stop their plans, she’d learned that Clint was easy to manipulate in the right situations.

“We asked Steve and Sam if they wanted to help when they passed by, but they said ‘no’ and ran like cowards.” She informed him with a smirk. Judging by the returned mischievous smile, she’d successfully pulled him in.

“Well, I’ll help. I’m no coward. Besides, this is my area of expertise.” Clint gave a little flourish of his hands to emphasize the last word.

“Marshmallows?” Ned was baffled.

“No. Shooting things from a distance and calculating what you need in your mind’s eye as you shoot.” He corrected, adding after a little deliberation. “But I would like to think I’m an expert at making s’mores, and that involves marshmallows.”

 

“I think we got this perfect.” Clint announced after about twenty minutes of tinkering with the fine tuning on the marshmallow gun, and fixing the other two so they were the same. He loved the fact that the teens always made three of their creations, one for each of them. “How about we test them out on your favorite lab rats?” He suggested with a mischievous smile. The kids nodded excitedly, but after a moment’s thought, Peter found himself hesitant.

“We could lose all of our lab privileges.” He warned with a hint of disappointment. “MJ’s already on probation from the chemistry lab.” Clint turned to Michelle, a brow raised in question.

“Intentional misuse of lab equipment.” She explained, smirking. “I reheated my tea with a Bunsen burner.”

“I know from experience that he’s not a man of empty threats.” Clint said with a frown. One little misfired arrow in Tony’s lab, and he’s banned for life.

 

“The teens and Clint would like to know the specifications of the rule on bringing projects into the living area.” Karen had paused his music to announce in the lab. Tony’s hand had stilled on the screwdriver, and Natasha finally stopped twirling the other screwdriver like a pen.

“Why?” Tony was already suspicious. Anything involving those four together automatically raised huge red flags in his mind.

“MJ has reasoned that since the rule only mentions not using the projects on you, they should be allowed to use them on someone else.”

“What project and who?” His kids using their projects on someone else? Hell, if that didn’t make him curious.

“Project Stay Puft. From the context of their conversation, I believe Mr. Rogers and Mr. Wilson to be the intended targets.”

“Oooo hooo. Permission granted.” He sounded absolutely giddy. “Where are they headed?”

“Mr. Rogers and Mr. Wilson are currently watching sports in the living room.”

“C’mon Tasha, this is gonna be so funny, I just know it.” Tony had already jumped up and headed for the door.

“Right behind you.” She followed with a wide smile, just as excited to see what nonsense her favorite idiot and the kids had planned.

 

“Porg in position. Target sighted. Awaiting instructions.” Clint’s voice sounded over the ear coms in a whisper.

“Solo and Skywalker in position. Also awaiting instructions.” Peter’s voice soon followed. Michelle rolled her eyes at his ridiculous code names, they were unnecessary, but she’d indulged her losers in their fun anyway.

“Copy.” She observed the scene below, waiting for the right moment.

Steve and Sam sat on the couch, mildly arguing about which team was better, totally oblivious. Natasha and Tony showed up in the entrance way, unseen by the two. A few seconds later Bucky joined them, already looking amused. Perfect.

“Porg, fire shot one.” She instructed softly, watching the plan set in motion. In a few seconds there was the sound of a puff of air, and an almost simultaneous loss of power to the television as the remote was knocked off the coffee table.

“Hold…” MJ waited until Steve moved to pick up whatever it was, holding up a marshmallow in confusion to show an equally confused Sam. “Team, fire a barrage.”

The room was filled with the sound of miniature air cannons firing in rapid succession, as well as the soft ‘thwap’ of marshmallows meeting their targets. Very confused, and very undignified, squawks and hollers from the victims joined the cacophony. Sam threw his arms up to shield himself from the confectionary ammunition, while Steve was flinching and flailing, trying to avoid the attack to no avail. They were surrounded by sugar snipers. The room was now covered in what had to be a few hundred marshmallows, but they still flew through the air at the two without stopping. They stumbled around the living room, seeking shelter, the marshmallow madness was unending. Only when they managed to leave the room did they escape from the raining hellfire of fluffy animal byproduct.

“Cease fire.” MJ was barely able to get the words out passed a giggle.

The marshmallows finally stopped, and the four emerged from their hiding spots, the room now full of the sound of loud laughter. The team converged and exchanged congratulatory high fives. The mission was an absolute success.

Tony was holding himself up on the door frame, practically wheezing. Bucky was bent over laughing, and it was the most genuine sound they’d heard from him. Natasha joined the group in their high five-ing, leaning on Clint for support from her own giddy laughter, her rare beaming smile like a little ray of sunshine to him.

The adults were weirdly proud of the kids’ antics. Not only was it hilarious, it was also very well coordinated, and the weapons were genius. If they put their minds to it, the teens could be a formidable force to be reckoned with, and maybe one day, they might even be an excellent addition to the Avengers.

But first they’d have to clean up all those marshmallows. Totally worth it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyyee, whatcha think? 
> 
> I gotta say, while coming up with ideas for the kids projects can be difficult when trying to figure out if the logistics would actually work, it's still so fun. Especially naming them, lol.
> 
> 'Til next time, I love y'all.  
> -Grump


	10. All the Small Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the little things that mean the most when it really matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, it's been a while, but I'm back from the dead. 
> 
> You ever work on something for so long that you end up hating it? Yeah... anyways, apologies for any mistakes, no beta, as usual. My literary hubris will come for me someday, and I shall fall at my keyboard by my own hands, but for now we're gonna keep coasting and hope it doesn't catch up.

If it were possible, Tony would’ve died of boredom about an hour ago. The ancient man with the bad comb over and tacky suit had been talking forever, and after a while his droning voice had become white noise. He would’ve fallen asleep by now if Pepper hadn’t been nudging him sharply and giving him her patented frustrated glare. The one that managed to feel like she was scolding him without even uttering a word. He stared ahead toward the various charts Business Grandpa had been gesturing at to appease her, but he wasn’t actually seeing them. He was totally zoned out thinking about what he’d rather be doing, which was pretty much anything besides sitting at a long table with boring people in suits and ties.

His phone rang, cutting through the stifling atmosphere of the boardroom and bringing Business Grandpa to a halt in his monologue. Thank God. He stood quickly, not even looking at the phone to see who was calling.

“Please excuse me, I’ve got to take this call.” He hurried to leave, pointedly ignoring Pepper’s disapproving frown. “Do carry on in my absence though, don’t mind me.”

A wave a relief hit after the door closed behind him, and he practically jogged away in gleefulness at his miraculous escape. The happy feeling didn’t last long though, vanishing when he stopped in a lobby and finally looked at the caller ID. Steve Rogers. Ugh, he’s not even here and he managed to spoil Tony’s mood. He almost debated not even answering, but if Steve was calling on his brick of a phone, there was probably a reason. He gave a defeated sigh and answered, hoping he didn’t regret it.

“Steve, I’m not really in the mood to talk to you right now.” He skipped past any pleasantries, better to get this over with as quickly as possible.

_“It’s not about that. It’s Peter.”_

The concern in his voice gave Tony a pause, and Steve took that as his cue to continue.

_“We can’t find him and we’re starting to worry, but Karen won’t tell us where he is unless it’s a life threatening situation.”_

“Did you ask Friday?” The following awkward silence made him roll his eyes. A whole team of superheroes, and none of them thought to ask the other AI. He let Steve stew in embarrassment for a moment while he had Friday pull up Peter’s location, trying to think about what could be wrong. Peter was in the garden. Alright, still on the compound’s property, so that’s much less worrisome. Him being in the garden alone wasn’t too unusual, but why did he want Karen to keep it secret? Then it hit him, and he felt guilt seeping into his mind. “Shit. I forgot that was today. I should’ve been there.”

_“What’s today?”_

“It’s his Uncle’s birthday.” He gave a sad sigh. “This will be the first one he’s gone through without his Aunt. Today is probably really hard for him.” He cursed the fact that he had to do stupid company meetings, he couldn’t just leave. If he couldn’t be there today… “Is Michelle there?”

_“No.”_ Well there goes that idea.

“Okay. Different plan then.” He could see Pepper exiting the conference room and stalking down the hallway toward him, he’d have to make this quick. “Pete’s out in May’s Garden. Just ask the AIs where it is. He really shouldn’t be alone. Send someone out to get him.” He had to keep himself from saying something like ‘but not you’, there was no time to be rude. “Don’t push or pry, he’ll probably be quiet and distant. Make him spaghetti for dinner, but don’t force him to eat if he doesn’t want to.”

_“Why spaghetti?”_ Pepper was halfway down the hall, so he ignored the question and kept going.

“Don’t let him close himself off in his room, that’ll make it worse. You know that one cardigan of his, the pink one with the daisies?” There was a hum of acknowledgement on the other end. “Grab that and see if he wants to wear it. Make him a comfy spot in the living room and put on a movie, he loves Star Wars.” Oh boy, did Pepper look mad. “So that’s pretty much all I can do from here. I won’t be back until tomorrow, Pepper’s real strict about me missing meetings. Take care of my kid Rogers. Please.”

_“I will.”_

“Thank you.” Pepper was nearly upon him. He quickly hung up and held his hands up in a placating manner, explaining before she could start her rant. “It was about Peter. It’s not a good day.” She deflated at the words, frustration immediately becoming concern.

“Is he alright?”

“He will be… I hope.” Tony looked unsure, but they had things to do. “Alright. Let’s go finish listening to the office dinosaur ramble about unnecessary budgets.”

 

The group of Avengers had convened in a circle around Steve during his call to Tony. They didn’t have someone to help, but now they had some weirdly specific instructions. After relaying the information, they split themselves up, each taking a task and treating it as if it were a serious mission. It technically was a mission, but a family one this time instead of a superhero one. They refused to let Tony down, or let Peter suffer alone.

 

Sam assigned himself chef’s duty, mostly because that’s what he was best at, but also because he wasn’t as close to Peter as some of the others. He didn’t want to mess something up or make the boy even more uncomfortable, that would be like two steps back in the situation. Spaghetti was easy enough, but he decided the meal deserved some extra effort. He found Tony’s family cookbook in one of the cabinets after some searching, but unfortunately for him, it was all in handwritten Italian. He didn’t let that deter him though. Thanks to Friday’s translation help, as well as Tony’s habit of keeping the kitchen stocked like a supermarket, he soon had a large pot of homemade sauce simmering on the stovetop. While he was waiting for that, he figured he could make something sweet. Sweets always made him feel a little better when he was sad. Steve would usually tell him that he shouldn’t ‘eat away his feelings’ and how it was ‘an unhealthy coping mechanism’, but really, who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies?

 

Natasha and Bucky, it seemed, had gathered every available blanket and pillow in the building. The others might be a little upset when they realized their bedding had been stolen, but the two weren’t worried about it, they had bigger plans to accomplish. Comfy was about to reach a whole new level. Sam suggested they might be going a little overboard when he checked on them a bit later, but they just shrugged and continued their complete remodel of the living room. 

 

Steve headed to Peter’s room to retrieve the cardigan. He kinda lied when he said he knew which one it was, but he figured the description was specific enough for him to find it anyway. As it turns out, he was wrong. He lost his optimistic view the moment he opened the bedroom door. It was utter chaos.

Peter’s room was large, and yet it seemed every inch of it had been hit by a natural disaster in the form of a teenager. He couldn’t fathom how the kid found anything. Just from a glance around, he could tell that maybe half his wardrobe was scattered about the room, the other half hanging or tossed on the floor of the open closet. Actually looking through everything would probably take forever, and he felt it would also probably be an invasion of Peter’s privacy.

The kid’s AI was pleasantly helpful, letting him know where the sweater was after he asked. It was folded up and safely hidden under his pillow, and as Steve gently retrieved the item, he realized how important it must be to Peter. Holding the soft fabric, his gaze wandered and he noticed a framed photo on the bedside table that had been turned facedown. He frowned and reached out to fix it, a sad curiosity bringing him to look at the image that had been kept from view.

It seemed to be a family photo, a much younger Peter standing between two people who he assumed to be his Aunt and Uncle. He actually recognized the background from his teen years with Bucky, they must’ve been at Coney Island. Peter was tiny, and missing a few teeth, but his smile was huge anyway. The man looked similar to Peter, and had the same kind eyes. The woman was beautiful, and she seemed to radiate that gentle warmth that reminded him of his own mother. Peter looked so young and carefree. They were happy.

He left the room feeling bittersweet, thinking of the small family, mind flickering back to moments in his childhood when he and his mother were that happy. They never had much, but they had each other. He’d lost her, and then he lost Bucky, and the Peggy he had known. By some precious chance of fate, he’d gotten his Bucky back. And he still had the other friends he’d made saving the world. They could be messy and dysfunctional, but they were a family, and he cherished that now more than ever.

 

Clint was sent to retrieve Peter. It was agreed that he was the best with kids, for some reason they didn’t quite understand. The garden, Friday called it May’s garden when she was giving him directions, was off an inconspicuous hiking path just passed the archery range. He wondered how he hadn’t noticed it before.

A cobblestone path among the trees opened into an impressive field of sunflowers. It was almost magical to walk along amid a sea of golden petals and vibrant green leaves gently rustling in the wind. At the edge of the field, the path carried on through an ivy covered arch that served as the entrance to a huge meadow filled with flowers of every color that he imagined flowers could be. From what he could see, the garden made a circle around a fancy looking gazebo, the main path leading to it, with a maze of smaller stone walkways branching off into the flowers. There were bird feeders and houses scattered around, as well as a few statues. He wasn’t sure until he’d reached the gazebo, but it seemed there was water bordering the opposite side of the garden. He figured his best bet was to head towards it, as he hadn’t seen a trace of the boy yet. As he got closer, he could hear a sound that he was certain didn’t come from the nature around him, following it and finding the boy, much to his relief.

Peter was sitting cross legged on a small dock along the edge of a large pond, leaning back against a pole with his eyes closed. He held some kind of instrument in his lap, soft music floating through the air and mingling with the birdsong and the buzz of insects. Clint thought the song felt familiar, but the sound stopped as the boy seemed to sense his presence, opening his eyes and looking at Clint with an odd sort of detached curiosity. He didn’t say anything, but you could tell he had quite a bit of thoughts swirling inside, despite his calm appearance.

“Hey kid, mind if I join you?” Peter nodded after a bit of hesitation, and he sat on the dock as well, gazing out over the water. Peter was just fidgeting with the small instrument instead of playing it anymore. After a while of almost awkward silence, Clint decided he should speak.

“What’cha got there?” He nodded towards the little wooden box thing in the boy’s hands. He hadn’t actually seen one before, and he had to admit he was curious. Besides, he couldn’t stand to continue sitting in the weird quiet tension, hoping to get Peter talking as well.

“It’s a kalimba.” Peter held it out closer for Clint to see. A richly stained wooden box with a row of thin metal keys in different lengths along the top, and a hole in the box below the keys that reminded him of an acoustic guitar. “MJ got it for me, she thought it’d be helpful. She was right. It sounds magical.” He paused and plucked a few keys before explaining. “Touching the keys and feeling the vibration of each note is so grounding. And then music is just patterns, and it helps me focus. Kinda slows down the train wreck of thoughts.”

“What were you playing earlier? Was that Blink 182?” Clint thought back to when he found the kid by the pond, still trying to place the song that felt so familiar.

“Are you gonna make fun of me if it was?” His voice hadn’t changed, but you could tell he was a bit defensive. Clint shook his head.

“Nah, I love that band.” The statement almost seemed to surprise the boy, and he looked like he couldn’t decide if he should be confused or not. Instead he just nodded in confirmation.

“Well then yeah, it was. _All the Small Things_.” Huh. So that’s why it was familiar.

“That’s so cool. Would ya play it again for me, kid?” Clint was smiling, and looked hopeful.

“Yeah. Sure.” Peter shrugged. He wasn’t expecting the compliment, let alone a request to play, but he obliged anyway, grateful for the distraction again.

They kid seemed lost in the comfort of playing his music. After he finished the song, he just kinda flowed into another one. Clint hadn’t asked him to play more, and he definitely wasn’t going to ask him to stop. He watched koi fish lazily swim around the poles of the dock and under lily pads, scales occasionally catching the sun. The chirping birds and buzzing bees were a constant in the background, mixing with the changing music rather beautifully. One song would just flow on to the next. It was honestly so relaxing.

He hadn’t realized how long it had been until he got a text from Natasha an hour later, asking where he was. He figured it was probably time to head back, and he hoped he could get Peter to come with him.

“They won’t admit it, but everyone’s been missing you today.” Peter gave a hum of acknowledgement, but didn’t look like he actually believed him. “Wanna come back to the house with me? We’re gonna eat dinner and watch movies. Spaghetti and Star Wars. The old men haven’t seen it yet, and they could probably use the help of an expert in all things sci-fi… Sound good?”

“Yeah, that actually sounds really nice.” He agreed after a moment of thought, standing and giving Clint a small nod and a smaller smile. “Okay.”

“How ‘bout you play us some walking tunes?” He suggested as he led the way back.

Peter didn’t respond, but he started to play a random melody, glancing at Clint and smiling again when he decided on a song. Clint hummed along happily as they walked, just glad to see the boy look less troubled.

 

Tony didn’t know what he was expecting when they got home the next morning, but it certainly wasn’t the scene he and Pepper had found in the living room. The others had made a blanket fort. Well, fort wasn’t quite fitting, it was more like an elaborate blanket mansion. An impressive amount of effort was put into the structure, and it was kind of surprising. But even more surprising was the group scattered around it, sleeping.

Here they were, the saviors of Earth, cozy in a big pillow fort. Peter was wearing the cardigan, cuddled into Natasha like a puppy, while Clint was sprawled next to them with his foot in a spilled popcorn bowl. Steve and Bucky were slumped together on one of the couches, and Sam had cocooned himself in a corner, practically buried in blankets.

It gave him a weird sort of fondness as he looked over them, a tickle of something he hadn’t felt for the others in a long time. They weren’t perfect and they still had a lot of unresolved issues, but seeing them with Peter like this, he thinks maybe they’ll be okay.

…

Until he saw the absolute mess that Pepper had found in the kitchen, and the feeling was replaced with a kind of resigned exasperation. Yep. They were a family now, for sure. And someone would have to take responsibility for this travesty of tidiness later, but for now he’ll let them sleep. He was so grateful for their help, he at least owed them that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all aren't too disappointed with this update after you've been waiting so long. Imma post an author update later tonight, to explain things, but I figured y'all would wanna kill me if I didn't post an actual chapter first. So here we are. 
> 
> -Grump
> 
> PS: Here's a link if you actually wanna hear what Blink 182 sounds like on the kalimba.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR-ERR2BAl8


	11. Grump Speaks: The Third Installment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this isn't an actual chapter, but I gotta talk to y'all again.

Hey y'all, it's me again. 

If you've been following this story since the beginning, you're probably thinking "Oh god, this bitch is gonna blather to us again? This isn't what I came for, give us a real update." and for that I apologize. As you most likely noticed, it's been about three months between the last chapter update and the one I posted today. There are a multitude of reasons for this, but Imma stick to the ones that effect you guys and the story.

First, I promise I've been writing stuff while I was gone. A bunch of stuff actually. The problem is, I'm working on everything, but I'm not actually finishing anything.

One issue I'm having is that I feel like I can't post something if it's too short. My brain refuses to accept if the chapter is anything less than at least 1,000 words. I have stuff that just feels like drabbles not good enough to post. The other issue is that I feel like everything needs to have an overarching or cohesive plot with the story, but like, I don't have one. I started with a dumb little idea, and I've just been stumbling along with it since. Some of the things I've written feel more like one shots related to the story instead of a continuous plot.

The point is, I feel like I can't give y'all what you want, and I don't know what you expect from me. 

What I wanna know is, what do you want? Are drabbles acceptable? Do I need to make everything flow together smoothly, with the whole beginning-middle-end type stuff, or are you okay with more random additions? Do you want one-shot type stuff?

So yeah. Do I need to get my shit together, or are y'all content to continue with the "we'll see how this goes" thing I've got going on? Please give me some input, because I want to try and give you updates more often.

Sending all of y'all so much love from my sad little goblin cave for sticking with me so far, I appreciate it more than I can properly convey.

-Grump


	12. The Months of May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look back at how we got here. (part one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm back. Sorry for the wait.
> 
> As always, no beta, only me.

**_October_ **

For the last hour or so, Tony had felt like a tiny animal trapped in a cage at his desk. Warily watching a lioness stalk back and forth in front of him, seething with maternal anger. Pepper sat quietly on a chaise in the corner of the office, merely observing the scene before her, leaving him to fend for himself. Now, if he was honest with himself, he deserved it, but that didn’t make the experience any easier.

May had found out about Spider-Man. Literally the same day he’d decided to give the kid his suit back. He assumed she already went through all this with Peter, as he heard nothing about it until early the next morning when security was calling him about a ‘small furious woman claiming herself to be Spider-Man’s mom, demanding to see Tony with murder in her eyes’. Security was rightfully skeptical when he’d told them to let her in, and he now regretted his decision.

Her anger finally seemed to be fading, or at least her pacing had become less aggressive. She’d stopped talking, but he was terrified to try and get a word in edgewise. The silence was unnerving, and he almost preferred having her eviscerate him verbally than burning through his soul with her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. She finally sat in one of the chairs by the desk, and heaved a tired sigh.

“I don't think you understand how important you are to him. He adores you. My son is willing to put his life on the line for you.” The look she was giving him made him feel small, questioning if he really deserved such adoration from the boy. Her analyzing stare seemed to confirm that she didn’t think him deserving at all, and she was probably right.

“I was all Peter had, and then you came into his life. Remember that, Stark.” She leaned forward and pointed at him accusingly. “You are the one who chose to involve yourself in his life. Not the other way around. If you were willing to be responsible for him then, you need to be responsible for him now.”

“Spider-Man is a part of Peter; I won’t take that away from him.” The admission sounded defeated, but certain. “There are gonna be some ground rules and restrictions. He’s just a teenager, he should be living like one, at least part of the time. I don’t want him to just give up his childhood out of some obligation to save the world. So you're gonna train him Stark. You will make him the best Avenger there ever was. Teach him how to protect himself. Keep him safe. You can't just be there when it's convenient for you. You have to be there when he needs you.” She paused to take a deep breath, steel back in her gaze. “He's my baby, and you will never hurt him, or we'll have some issues, and not even your fancy metal armor will save you. Got it?”

It was all he could do to give a dumbstruck nod, and Pepper had the audacity to snort in amusement at his reaction. She waited until she collected herself before standing from the chaise and speaking to May.

“Would you like some tea? Coffee?” Her voice was shockingly professional, considering she was just mocking his pain a few seconds ago.

“Coffee would be great, thank you.” May stood as well, allowing a grateful smile for Pepper as she was led from the room.

Before Pepper pulled the door closed, May gave him one last scathing look, pointing from her own burning eyes to his fearful ones. There was a quiet giggle from the one who was supposed to be his ‘for better or for worse’ as the door clicked shut, and he finally felt like he could breathe again. He sank into his chair, absorbing everything that had just happened, mind replaying May’s last look at him.

_“I’m watching you, Stark.”_ Her eyes had warned with a sure promise of swift retribution for any failures on his part.

What had he gotten himself into?

 

**_November_ **

Tony was more involved with Peter’s life now, and he and May had essentially began co-parenting the boy. She still wasn’t too keen on Tony, but she appreciated the effort. Pepper and May had essentially become best friends in almost no time at all, to the surprise and dismay of Tony and Peter. They could team up against the boys when they were being stupid. They were a force to be reckoned with, and managed to keep them in line.

Near the end of the month, May had invited them both over for tea, saying they needed to talk about something important. She procrastinated with small talk for a bit, unsure of how to bring it up, but Pepper’s gentle smile and subtle prompting eventually worked it out of her.

“I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I've been thinking lately... would you take care of Peter for me, if something were to happen?” She was hesitant, looking at them like what she asked was impossible and uncalled for. The couple glanced at one another and seemed to have a silent conversation in such a short moment.

“You mean, becoming his legal guardians?” Pepper asked for clarification, but they were almost certain they knew that was what she asking. May nodded and wrung her hands together nervously, she started to talk quickly, like she was afraid she’d lose her nerve if she didn’t get it out fast enough.

“It would be a weight off my chest if I knew Peter wouldn't be lost without me. I don't want him to have to live with strangers, no family left to turn to. He is too good to be destroyed by this world, and we don't deserve him. The Parker family... it would seem that we don't have the best luck, you know? After we lost Ben, I've been so worried about something happening to me, like some sick universal irony. I- I'm rambling. Sorry.” She cleared her throat and collected herself, cheeks slightly pink, looking at the floor. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, probably too much, but if you could at least consider it, I’d appreciate it. Take all the time you need to think about it.”

“We don’t need to think about it.” Tony’s statement followed her words almost immediately. Her head shot up, and she looked between the two.

“What?” She was confused, was he turning her down? He didn’t say anything else, and she looked to Pepper, hoping she’d help her understand.

“We’ve actually talked about it already, and we were planning on bringing it up soon.” Pepper explained as Tony nodded. May’s eyes had begun to water, trying to hold back tears of relief.

“Thank you.” Her throat was tight, and she could feel herself getting choked up. “I just- thank you so much.”

She surged forward and crushed them both into a grateful hug, her attempt not to cry ultimately failing. They hugged her back tightly, and Tony thought that maybe he could feel tears gather too. He never was good with emotions.

 

**_December_ **

Tony sat at the kitchen table with May, drinking coffee as he waited for Peter to finish packing for a few days at the compound. He was almost certain the boy hadn’t even started packing until he’d heard Tony knock on the door, but he wasn’t really surprised. Instead he took the time to savor his coffee in a content quietness with May, letting his gaze wander around the apartment.

He’d bought the small family a new place, despite May’s stubborn refusal. She told him she wouldn’t accept charity, so he insisted it was a gift, and she finally gave in. It was larger and recently remodeled. It seemed they’d finished unpacking already, completely moved in. They didn’t have much to begin with, but even so, they’d made it a home.

As recent as the move was, Peter and May had managed to decorate for the holidays. Old knick-knacks were scattered about with a few crafts he suspected the kid had made when he was younger.  The use of tinsel was relatively tasteful, even though it was everywhere. The atmosphere was cozy, and he wished this was the kind of holiday he would’ve had with his family a lifetime ago. Soft colored lights were strung around all of the windows, but one of the windows in particular caught his attention.

“I didn’t know you were Jewish.” He gestured with his mug to a small electric menorah nestled on the windowsill. May glanced at it and looked back to him with a small smile.

“Well, I was raised Catholic and Ben was Jewish.” She explained, and he gave a considering nod at this new information. “We weren’t very religious people when we married, and when Peter came along, it was just something else we didn’t have time for.” She gave a slight shrug. “Peter’s parents were Jewish too. That first year without them was… rough, to say the least. He was too young to fully understand what happened, but he was still heartbroken that his parents just left him.” She cleared her throat, eyes slightly glassy, reining her emotions back in before she cried thinking of the past. “So when the holidays came around, we decided we’d celebrate both holidays for him. It was such a relief to see him smile and giggle again. The next year we kinda did the same, and it’s just become our tradition. We do some small family celebrations for Hanukkah and Christmas, but the most important part is just being together.”

“Huh. Interesting.” He’d begun scratching his beard in thought when she finished. She recognized that look on his face, and she was sure it didn’t bode well for her already indebted conscience. She sighed in slight annoyance.

“I swear Stark, don’t be getting any ridiculous ideas. I know it’s eight nights of gifts, but he doesn’t need any excessively expensive gifts from you.” May tried to put a stop to whatever he was thinking before it began. “Plus… you’ve already given us so much, and I’m so grateful, but I can’t accept anything else without the guilt of knowing I could never repay you.”

“Fine, fine. I won’t.” She frowned at the terrible poker face he tried to keep as he obviously lied.

“You totally are, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” That earned him another sigh and an eye roll, but he just smirked.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You get used to it, just ask Pep.”

 

**_January_ **

May startled when there was a sudden pounding on the apartment door, almost dropping the first aid kit she was trying to put away. The urgency of the knocking should’ve made her nervous, but she had a feeling she knew who was at the door.  She checked the peephole and smiled knowingly before opening the door to greet a rather flustered Michelle.

“Where is he?” The girl didn’t even give May a chance to say ‘hello’ before the concerned question fell from her lips, words tumbling out in a rushed manner as she bounced anxiously. “I saw the news. That hit looked really bad. Is the idiot still alive?”

“Peter, MJ is here to see you.” May called out to the apartment as she let her in, the girl immediately heading for his bedroom. He was doomed.

“What? No don’t let her in, she can’t- uh” Peter’s frantic protest was cut off as his door swung open, only a pile of clothes keeping it from smashing into the wall, as he was met with the sight of a very obviously upset Michelle. He shrunk in on himself guiltily, flinching a bit when the movement bothered his injuries. He tried and failed at an attempt of nonchalance. “Heeey…. MJ. What brings you here?”

May struggled not to laugh at his awkward greeting, moving into the kitchen to make tea for the girl when she was done yelling at the boys’ collective stupidity. Good. They deserved it. They didn’t really listen to May, but MJ could be terrifying, so they usually listened to her.

“Cut the bullshit Parker.” She crossed her arms and glared at him, taking a moment to assess the multitude of bandages wrapped around his ribs. “What the hell were you thinking?” Peter cringed and avoided her eyes, so she rounded on the other boy in the room. “How did this happen? I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on him, Ned.”

“I was! He didn’t listen to me!” He stood from the desk chair and threw his arms in the air as he defended himself. The shocked look he got from Peter and the unamused stare he was getting from MJ made him realize what he said, so he desperately back tracked, sitting back down and trying to look normal. “Uh… I mean… Why would I be keeping an eye on him?”

“Ned, sweetie, she already knows, don’t lie.” May’s voice came from the kitchen, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop, and the boy was digging his own grave. “You’re really bad at it.”

She sat on the couch and sipped her own tea as she listened to Michelle scold and berate the boys for the next hour or so. She knew she liked that girl for a reason.

Team Spider-Man gained a new member after winter break, and things actually got easier. There were no more convoluted lies, and Michelle was actually an excellent addition to the team, joining Ned as ‘the guy in the chair’. She refused to have stupid nickname, she had no desire to be called ‘the girl in the other chair’. They called her ‘Charlie’ instead, despite her protests. She pretended not to like it, but still blushed and smiled whenever she heard Peter use the name over the communication line while she and Ned gave assistance from home base.

 

**_February_ **

It was a “Normal Kid Night”. Or at least that’s what May called them. It was one of the nights of the week that he was supposed to just be a teenager. No Spider-Man. It was one of the new rules both May and Tony strictly enforced. He had to live life sometimes, so Peter Parker was just a regular kid tonight.

He used to resent these nights, it felt like he was being punished for being a superhero… but now he found himself looking forward to them. They were right, it was nice to have days like they had with Ben, before everything changed. May would stop on her way home from work and usually brought back Thai food, occasionally they’d mix it up and order pizza. They would sit cozy on the sofa in their pajamas and binge watch all the reality television they had recorded throughout the week. The night would usually end with a movie and two tubs of ice cream. Sometimes they would play video games instead, as he’d been trying to teach May, and she wasn’t half bad now.

He’d been waiting for this all day. He really needed it. School sucked more than usual. He’d been sort of anxious all day, and Flash had gotten him in trouble again during math class. Luckily he hadn’t received yet another detention, as his teacher thought he’d been doing better recently, so she let the incident slide.

May was a little later than usual, and his spider-sense hummed in his mind, but he squashed it down and ignored it. It was fine.

More time passed and he’d started to worry, unable to push back the spider-sense nagging at him. He paced and tried not to think. No need to jump to conclusions. His brain didn’t need to imagine worse and worse possibilities.

_There might’ve been traffic. The food might’ve taken longer than usual._

His excuses sounded weak in his mind. Maybe he should just call her. As he reached for the phone his spider sense seemed to peak, blaring painfully in his head, and then there was a sudden knock on the door.

_Maybe she’d forgotten her key._

Even he didn’t believe himself. Something was off. Something was wrong. Panic seeped deep in his bones.

A nauseating sense of déjà vu hit him when he opened the door. Two police officers looking grim. He knew this scene. He’d lived through this scene before. This time he was on the other side of the door, but it felt the same. He dropped to his knees, beginning to hyperventilate before either of the officers had spoken.

“May?” He barely choked out her name like a question, the already obvious answer on their faces raking knives through his heart.

_There was a car crash_ , they said. _A drunk driver ran a red light_ , they said. _She didn’t make it_ , they said. Each word filled with such disgusting pity that Peter wished they would just disappear.

Their apologies meant nothing to him, false assurances from strangers. How could they know? It happened again, and once again, he wished it’d been him. He’d rather be dead than lose her too. Grief weighed him down like cement, sobbing on the floor, absolutely broken. He’d say he felt like he was drowning again, but even that would more peaceful. No, it’s more like he’s burning alive, his pain searing in every nerve, the hurt swallowing him whole and leaving nothing in it’s wake. He thinks that maybe the officers were still talking, but he couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears and his screaming thoughts.

Aunt May, his May, his anchor, his home. Gone. She’s gone. She’s gone and he’s still here. Why was he still here? It wasn’t fair. If the world could take everyone from him, why couldn’t it just take him too?

He just wanted it to take him too.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... how was that? Everyone enjoy the suffering with me? Y'all brought it on yourselves, wanting to know what happened before the story.
> 
> I cried writing this chapter and the next, and I've been working on them forever, but after I saw Endgame I couldn't handle any emotional stuff... so it took a while. Anyone else lose a part of their soul in the theater? Yeah...
> 
> Love, Grump.


	13. The Months Without

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look back at how we got here. (part two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* Two chapters in one day? Is this the Twilight Zone?
> 
> No beta, just me.

**_February_ **

They buried May next to Uncle Ben in a tiny cemetery in Queens. It was a small ceremony, only a few people gathered in the cold to pay their respects to such an amazing woman. Tears threatened to freeze as they rolled down cheeks, a chilly wind buffeting the yellow petals of the sunflowers gently placed on the grave. The splash of color felt out of place among the bleak winter background. It was almost fitting, as Peter felt out of place in the world without her.

Tony’s mind echoed with the words May had spoken months earlier. They were unfortunately true, ‘sick universal irony’ seemed to plague the Parker family. In all the world, they were the least deserving of such torment from the universe. It wasn’t fair. The way life had treated Peter was never fair, it was heinous. Things had been going good, and once again, everything was taken from him. Tony may have been the mechanic, but he couldn’t fix this. Not this time.

 

**_March_ **

Peter had basically shut down. He wouldn’t eat or talk, and he never left his room. He had stopped going to school, and at first it was understandable, but he just never went back. It was like he’d just decided to stop living.

Tony was trying his best, but he was in way over his head. He had no idea what he was doing. He couldn’t seem to help and he didn’t know how. Saving the world from aliens was nothing like taking care of a grieving teenager, it had actually been easier in comparison.

Ned and MJ were a blessing.

They stepped in where he couldn’t, and they kind of eased him back into life with normal small things. They were there whenever possible, and MJ was almost there constantly if she could manage to escape her obligations.

MJ would read to him. Ned would just talk for hours, filling the silence. They always told him about their day and how school went, individual accounts of what happened, and combined stories for when they were together. MJ kept him updated on her sketches of people in crisis and the school gossip, and Ned kept him updated on their weird social stuff, like those meme things, and whatever was going on in the world that he deemed worthy of sharing. They’d sit in his room and do their homework or practice for academic decathlon, just being in his presence. Sometimes they just held him when nothing else worked. More often than not, he’d find Peter squished in the middle of a friend sandwich, all of them asleep.

They got him to come out of his room, but he was always clinging to one of them. They convinced him to actually go places.

Tony almost burst into tears the first time he saw Peter smile again.

Peter hadn’t worn the mask since the accident, and people had started to notice the absence of the vigilante web slinger. The residents of Queens worried about the friendly neighborhood hero. News outlets had so many different theories, but the real questions were always the same.

Where was Spider-Man?

Was he okay?

Would they be okay without him?

**_April_ **

They’d managed to talk him into going back to school. There were a few setbacks, especially with a bully named Flash, but MJ took care of that for him too. One comment to far, and he made Peter cry, so she made him cry. She got in quite a bit of trouble with the principal, apparently it was against the rules to break someone’s nose when they were being horrible. Tony and Pepper were way more proud of her than she expected when they picked her up from the office. The principal may have given her detention, but they gave her a box of fancy tea and some cookies, as well as encouraging her to do it again if needed.

Two more incidents, a split lip and a black eye later, and Flash wasn’t really a problem.

It’d seemed like a losing battle, but Tony was trying his hardest to get Peter to go to therapy. He wouldn’t force him to go, and Peter refused to budge on the issue. Pepper, the wonderful angel she is, finally found something that might work. A therapist’s office that had therapy dogs to sit in with the patients during sessions. Peter didn’t hate the idea, and reluctantly agreed to try one appointment. It was a victory in Tony’s eyes.

After an hour with Dr. Caroline and a large mutt named Beans, Peter decided that he would give it a chance.

 

**_May_ **

Every Wednesday, Peter went to therapy with Dr. Caroline. He’d met some of the other dogs, but Beans was still his favorite. Tony was pretty sure he only kept going because of the dogs, but the man would take what he could get. It was rough, but his kid had been making some progress, and that’s what mattered.

Pepper and Tony had decided it was probably best to get away from the city once the school year ended. They brought up the idea with Peter, and soon they were moving from a penthouse in Manhattan to the compound upstate. The change in environment would be good for all of them.

Happy wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but he did actually care about the kid, so he drove the kid’s friends to and from the compound to the city. He still complained about it though. Tony gave him a ridiculous pay raise, so he continued his role as teen chauffeur with only mild grumbling.

**_June_ **

Things were finally getting better, and it was like a miracle to Tony that they’d made it this far, and he hoped it stayed that way. They could really use some sense of normalcy after all the mess the last few months had been…

On a perfectly average Thursday, Peter and his friends met the rogue Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's what happened before the story. Hope these flashback chapters didn't disappoint. 
> 
> I'll try to post something fun and happy next time, but I make no guarantees as to when that'll happen, so don't get too excited. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me this far.
> 
> Love, Grump.


	14. Something About Books and Their Covers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some various drabbles having to do with clothing and appearances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. This is exactly what it says on the tin. Enjoy.
> 
> Absolutely no beta, and a very skimped proofread by yours truly.

“Nice jacket.” Sam’s voice carried across the kitchen, and Peter paused in his table setting, the stack of ceramic plates balanced in his arms wobbling a bit at his sudden stop. The comment honestly unexpected.

“Thanks, it’s my favorite.” It was his Uncle Ben’s, and the faded blue hoodie had been through a lot.

“That’s a pretty cool patch.” He vaguely gestured towards Peter’s arm, where a stylized version of the Iron Man helmet was stitched to the sleeve. The boy glanced at it and looked back up with a small smile.

“MJ made it. There was a big bl- Um… A big stain. And a hole. So she fixed it.” Peter cringed internally at his words. The recovery was awkward, but he’d managed to stop himself from saying the truth out loud. A big blood stain and a bullet hole. Good lord, he wouldn’t even know how to even begin that explanation.

Oh yeah, just stopping a mugging as his civilian self on his way home from school. You know, usual teenager stuff. The guy had a gun, but he didn’t really notice until it was too late. He was lucky his spider-sense saved his ass, or that bullet would’ve hit something much more important than just his arm. He continued to place plates around the table, a bit zoned out in his memory.

“That one is pretty cool too.” Sam pulled him out of his thoughts once he’d come around the other side of the table, noticing the second patch on Peter’s shoulder. It looked just like R2-D2, albeit a bit simpler in terms of design.

“MJ made that one too. There was a tear, I’m pretty clumsy.” He gave a shrug and an awkward smile.

He felt bad lying again, but Flash was actually the one who ripped the fabric on one of the days when he was feeling like being extra shitty to Peter. The asshole had yanked on the clothing because Peter had attempted to just walk passed and ignore his jeers, carrying his books and an important model for chemistry. Of course, his spider-sense hadn’t decided to save him that time, and he fell back hard on the tiles. Flash had just laughed as he gathered his scattered books and broken project.

He didn’t want the others to know about Spider-Man yet, but he also didn’t need them knowing he was bullied.

 

 

***************

 

It was a big shock to Peter and Ned, but the absolutely terrifying Black Widow… preferred pajamas over normal clothes, ate Nutella out of the jar with a spoon, and loved reality TV. MJ wasn’t really surprised, people are weird and unique.

She enjoyed sitting in Natasha’s company, sharing snacks in comfortable silence as the other watched unnecessary drama play out on screen, drawing the particularly hilarious expressions of people in disastrous situations they caused themselves. Occasionally she drew Natasha, it was nice to see her relaxed, and almost a little more open with her facial expressions.

Today they were watching _The Bachelorette_ , and this episode’s rose ceremony was filled with crisis material for MJ to draw. Natasha was distracted from the drama, watching the other girl make swift scratchy doodles of each the shows contestants. She had on the bracelets she was wearing the first time they’d met, and Nat had been meaning to ask about them. She figured now was a perfect opportunity.

“Hey.” Michelle’s pencil stilled, and she turned her attention to the other woman, waiting for her to continue. “Can I see your gloves? I’ve been curious about them since you threatened us on the day you met and Steve almost peed himself.”

She gave a half smile and set her sketchbook down, holding her hands out where Natasha could see. She tapped the silver bands together twice on her inner wrists and metal appeared instantly, spreading almost like liquid from the bracelets and covering her hands in protective gloves in mere seconds. They reminded Nat of Bucky’s prosthetic hand. Shuri had made that one, but Stark’s tech was always impressive.

“Tony really makes weapons for everybody he cares about, huh?”

“Tony didn’t make these.” Michelle corrected, and it caught her off guard. Not Tony’s tech then. “Granted, he offered to make me something after knowing me for like, two months. I respectfully declined, he can go overboard, and my luck he would’ve made me ones of those Iron Man gauntlets. I don’t need to blast holes through people with plasma beams. That’s a bit excessive.” Natasha nodded her agreement, he wouldn’t think twice about arming a teenager with deadly lasers. “Peter made these for me.”

“Peter made those? Himself?” Nat’s brows rose in surprise. The kid made those? Impressive.

“He was inspired by your Widow’s Bites actually.” Even more impressive. The kid had good taste. “I needed something that required less precision and technique, so he decided on gloves. That way, all I have to do is touch someone for it to be effective.”

“How do you prevent them from shocking yourself?”

“The bracelet band extends a grounding cover to my elbows.”

“Show me.” Michelle wiggled her fingers and a sleeve formed on her arm, static lightly crackling from the gloves. “That’s pretty cool. Do they do more than the electricity?”

“Check this out.” She made a fist and the electricity cut off, a circular design on the back of her hands beginning to light up, quickly glowing a molten orange. “He made me these little emblems on the back of my hands, they super heat in seconds. If someone attacks and I can’t use the electricity without hurting myself in the process, these will immediately burn whatever comes in contact. It can burn through clothes.”

“Smart.”

“As for a practical use of that feature, I can start fires whenever I want.”

“Planning on committing arson?” Nat smirked, and it grew when Michelle shrugged and gave a mischievous smile.

“I was thinking more along the lines of campfires in survival situations… but if it’s ever necessary, I can also commit arson, I guess.”

 

***************

 

Bucky was up and already in the kitchen when Ned emerged in the morning. Greeting him with a stifled yawn, followed by a cheerful smile and a ‘morning Mr. White Wolf’. He asked if Bucky wanted to make breakfast, and soon they were frying bacon and making French toast for everyone. He took his job of bacon master seriously, determined to get that perfect crispiness without burning it. Ned was humming something as he placed the slices of bread in the pan, satisfied with his balance of cinnamon and egg.

The sunlight streaming through the windows glinted on the metal of Bucky’s arm, catching Ned’s attention for a moment. He pulled the arm closer to his body, self-conscious of the weaponized limb. Embarrassed that he had to carry around something with such a terrible history. Ned noticed the movement and the look on the man’s face. He turned to him, squinting thoughtfully.

“You shouldn’t feel ashamed of it being visible.” He nodded toward the arm, and the boy’s serious tone caught him off guard. “Your scars will always be a part of you, but they never define who you are. The past doesn’t change who you choose to be now. You do.”

Ned may have his quirks, but the boy was surprisingly wise. He went right back to flipping over slices of toast in the pan, leaving Bucky to mull over his words while watching the bacon. After a few minutes, the boy suddenly spoke again.

“Plus, you know, me and Peter think it’s really cool.” That pulled a half smile out of Bucky, and he might’ve been blushing just a tad. Nah, he’s probably wrong. It’s got to be the heat from the stove. An amazing super soldier wouldn’t blush at the compliments of some nerdy teenagers.

 

***************

 

Michelle walked into the living room and sat cross legged on a plush chair, pulling out a book and settling in. She didn’t acknowledge Clint’s presence, and it was almost as if she didn’t notice he was there. He knew she was always paying attention though.

She was wearing paint splattered jeans, a white t-shirt, and what looked like Ned’s jacket, if the way it hung loose on her frame was anything to go by. The saying on the shirt is what caught his attention tough, it was a poem embroidered in bright red letters.

‘ _Roses are red, Doritos are savory, the US prison system is legalized slavery._ ’

He smirked in amusement. Always speaking her mind even when she wasn’t speaking. MJ glanced up from her book with a frown.

“Do we have a problem?” She asked raising a brow.

“So…” He drawled. “Is your wardrobe just shirts with political sayings and stuff you’ve stolen from the other two?” He was still smirking.

“What if it is?” Michelle retorted. She tried to maintain her emotionless voice, but it was tainted with a hint of defensiveness. Shit. He crossed a line he didn’t know existed. All his amusement vanished.

“Is it?” Clint sounded concerned but unsure. The shift in behavior threw her off.

“It’s not my entire wardrobe…” She admitted. “Just most of it.” Clint looked like he was going to say something, but she kept going, feeling the need to explain herself. “I don’t have a lot of money for clothing so I just get the basics. But I know how to embroider, so I like to make them unique.” She got quieter and blushed a bit. “And I take their stuff ‘cause I like it… it makes me feel safe.” She was embarrassed for a moment, but then she was looking at him with steely eyes and threatening him. “If you tell anyone I said that you’ll regret it.”

She resumed reading and it was like the interaction had never happened. A blip in time that ceased to exist. Honestly, does she have super aloofness powers? Never the less, he added two new things to his mental to-do list. Ask Natasha if they could take the girl on a shopping spree, and ask Michelle if she’d teach him how to embroider too.

 

***************

 

Michelle had barely been at the compound for a few minutes when she walked up to Peter and Bucky, holding a grocery bag and buzzing with excitement.

“So my dad will probably kill me when he finds out… but I wanna dye my hair purple.” The two perked up at this statement.

“Like the streak you had before?” Peter asked curiously. She nodded.

“Yeah, but all of it this time.” She had this excited sparkle in her eyes as she smiled, and Peter thought it was so cute, and a little distracting.

“You’ll look so pretty.” Peter was giving her a sweet goofy smile, and then realized what he said. “That’ll be so pretty. I mean.” He tried again, attempting to sound casual. “Uh…It’s gonna look so cool.”

Bucky was quietly snickering behind his hand, nudging Peter and mumbling what sounded like ‘nice save bro’. Both teens were blushing, and MJ cleared her throat before trying to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“You guys wanna help me do a little teenage rebellion?” She held up a box of hair dye, looking to both expectantly.

“Yes.” Peter hopped off the couch, and Bucky followed with an amused smile.

“Fuck yeah, stick it to the old people.” His statement was met with brief surprise from the teens, but soon they were giving him huge grins and giggling as they headed off to start their mission.

They’d set up shop in Peter’s bathroom. They were twenty minutes into their styling session at the makeshift salon they’d created. Peter and Bucky were both wearing gloves, but that didn’t seem to be helping them from getting dye everywhere on themselves and the bathroom. Michelle sat in the tub in an old t-shirt, which was also spattered with purple. They were paused in their application when Tony had walked in and glanced around the room, looking distraught at what he was seeing.

“What the hell are you three doing?” He sounded angrier than Peter had anticipated, and he was hesitant to answer. Bucky stayed quiet.

“What does it look like were doing?” Michelle supplied blandly when the other two didn’t respond.

“It looks like you’re making a huge mess.” Tony was frowning at the three of them respectfully, and Peter thought he looked quite a bit more upset than the situation at hand really called for. He looked at Bucky like he should’ve known better, at Peter like he was disappointed in his participation, and at Michelle like he didn’t know why he expected any different.

“It’s just hair dye Mr. Stark.” His defense came out much quieter than he’d intended.

“It’s not just hair dye, Peter.” He corrected, keeping his voice level. “It’s purple hair dye on what once was a pristine white tub. Do you know how much that tub cost?” Michelle leveled him with an unimpressed stare.

“An excessive amount of money that absolutely no one should be spending on anything for their bathroom, but is in essence, mere pocket change for you?” She looked like she was challenging him to prove her wrong, and he deflated at the knowledge that he couldn’t. He sighed and dragged a hand down his face.

“You guys better clean up after yourselves and hope it doesn’t stain.” He tried to sound stern, but he knew when he was defeated, so he turned and walked away.

“No promises.” Michelle’s voice followed him out of the room, as well as giggles from the three of them.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... y'all like these kinda drabble things? I'm not sure how I feel about it, but meh, it's something. 
> 
> I love y'all so much, and I've seen and appreciated every single comment, and I wanna say thanks. It just takes a lot of mental energy to respond to them, but I'll try to do that eventually.
> 
> -Grump.


End file.
